a: =20/60+12/60-15/60=17/60
b: =7/8-1/4-2/5=5/8-2/5=25/40-16/40=9/40
\(a,\dfrac{1}{3}+\dfrac{1}{5}-\dfrac{1}{4}=\dfrac{20}{60}+\dfrac{12}{60}-\dfrac{15}{60}=\dfrac{17}{60}\\ b,\dfrac{7}{8}-\left(\dfrac{1}{4}+\dfrac{2}{5}\right)=\dfrac{7}{8}-\dfrac{13}{20}=\dfrac{9}{40}\)