Question

How do you write an algebraic expression for the phrase "a number minus the cube of 4"?

Answer 1

If `n` is "a number", then it's `n - 4^3`.

Explanation:

No real explanation here, just the fact that referring, arbitrarily, to "a number" signals the usage of a variable, that is represented by a letter. "minus the cube of four" can be interpreted as either `-4^3` or `-64`, although since we need our algebraic interpretation to be as close as possible to the description, it's more accurate to write `-4^3`.