The correct answer is A. Removal of redundant variable.
Factoring is the process of finding the prime factors of a number. A prime factor is a factor that is a prime number. A prime number is a number that is only divisible by 1 and itself.
For example, the number 12 can be factored as 2 x 2 x 3. The prime factors of 12 are 2 and 3.
Factoring can be used to simplify expressions. For example, the expression $x^2 + 2x + 1$ can be factored as $(x + 1)(x + 1)$.
Factoring can also be used to solve equations. For example, the equation $x^2 + 2x + 1 = 0$ can be factored as $(x + 1)(x + 1) = 0$. This gives us the solutions $x = -1$ and $x = -1$.
Here is a brief explanation of each option:
- Option A: Removal of redundant variable. This is the correct answer. Factoring is the process of removing redundant variables from an expression.
- Option B: Removal of redundant literal. This is not the correct answer. A literal is a symbol that represents a number. Factoring does not involve removing literals.
- Option C: Addition of redundant literal. This is not the correct answer. Factoring does not involve adding literals.
- Option D: Addition of redundant variable. This is not the correct answer. Factoring does not involve adding variables.