Why is (n-1)(n+1)=n^2-1?
Last Updated: 19.06.2025 08:10

xxx x
Move the nub up to the top:
xxxx
Too often, Black patients get late diagnoses of deadly skin cancer - The Washington Post
And you are left with almost a square. One less than the square of side n.
n^2 - n + n - 1
The more direct answer is to look at a rectangle with sides of n + 1 and n - 1, let’s go with n = 2
The odd effects a year in space has on the bodies of astronauts - supercarblondie.com
(n - 1)(n + 1)
So, that’s a rectangle with sides 2 and 4.
xxx
If you cut off the end of that rectangle, you make it smaller, 2 * 3 and a separate nub of size 1 * 2
n^2 - 1
xxx x
xxxx
xx
xxx
The basic answer is that you cross-multiply the values in each factor: