Final answer:
Due to a missing or unclear original expression, it's not possible to provide an equivalent expression. However, the details provided discuss complex fractions, negative exponents, and the quadratic formula to give context to the types of expressions the student might be encountering in their work.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of the question relates to complex fractions and understanding negative exponents in expressions. The context provided demonstrates the use of the quadratic formula to solve equations of the form ax² + bx + c = 0, as well as rules for simplifying expressions with exponents.
To address the question directly, unfortunately, the original expression that the student asked to be equivalent is missing or unclear in the provided text. Without the correct original expression, providing an equivalent expression is not possible. However, based on the context given, I can infer that the student may be confused about simplifying complex fractions or using negative exponents. For example, a negative exponent indicates that the base is in the denominator (e.g., x⁻ⁱ = 1/x).
When dealing with a complex fraction like x/(x - 3), it would remain as is unless there is a common factor in the numerator and denominator that can be simplified. For x²/(x² - 9), it can be simplified to x/x + 2 if factored into (x + 3)(x - 3), but without context, simplification may vary. The student might be confused about the difference in expressions that cannot be simplified, or they may be mistakenly applying the rule for combining exponents (e.g., xʹ x⁹ = x⁰ = 1) to expressions that are not multiplication of like bases.