Advanced Mathematics Saxon Problem set 3 question 19 HOW DO YOU SOLVE IT!!??!?

Question

the question is -2 to the 0 power -3 to the 0 power (-2 - 5 to the 0 power) - 1/-2 to the -2 power + x to the 2 power * y - xy if x = -2 and y = 3

I don't get it the 0 powers are messing me up.

Answer 1

Any number, other than zero, to the zero power is one. Zero to the zero power is undefined.

Think of it this way:

(a^b) / (a^c) = a^(b - c)

But if b = c then we have:

a^(b - c) = a^(b - b) = a^0

Now look at the quotient at the beginning. If b = c then:

(a^b) / (a^c) = (a^b) / (a^b) = 1

And

(a^b) / (a^b) = a^(b - b) = a^0 = 1