The first step in simplifying this expression is to identify which, if any, terms can be combined. Remember, only like terms — constant terms or terms with the same variable and the same exponent — can be combined.
( x^2 - 5x + 2) - ( 3x^2 + x - 1)
In this case, we have two x^2-terms, two x-terms, and two constants.
For the terms to be combined, we will remove parentheses and change signs of the terms in the second parentheses. Then, we will rearrange it according to the Commutative Property of Addition and evaluate the difference between the like terms.
