Q. Factor the expression completely.x4−3x2+2Answer:
Recognize form: Recognize the form of the expression.The given expression x4−3x2+2 resembles a quadratic in form, where x2 is the variable instead of x. We can substitute y=x2 to make it look like a standard quadratic equation.
Substitute y: Substitute y for x2.Let y=x2. Then the expression becomes y2−3y+2.
Factor expression: Factor the quadratic expression.We need to factor y2−3y+2. To do this, we look for two numbers that multiply to 2 and add up to −3. These numbers are −1 and −2.So, y2−3y+2factors as (y−1)(y−2).
Substitute back: Substitute x2 back in for y. Now we replace y with x2 in the factored form to get the final factored expression of the original polynomial. The factored form is (x2−1)(x2−2).
Check further factoring: Check if further factoring is possible.We notice that x2−1 is a difference of squares and can be factored further. The expression x2−2 cannot be factored over the integers.So, we factor x2−1 as (x+1)(x−1).
Write final form: Write the completely factored expression.The completely factored form of the original expression is (x+1)(x−1)(x2−2).
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