simplify:

Question

y^a x y^a+2

Answer 1

y^a * y^a + 2
y^(2a) + 2

Not sure where you want to go with that.

or, assuming the usual carelessness with parentheses,

y^a y^(a+2) = y^(2a+2) = (y^(a+1))^2 = (y^2)^(a+1)