Q. Factor the expression completely.x4+7x2−18Answer:
Recognize Structure: Recognize the structure of the expression.The given expression x4+7x2−18 is 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: y2+7y−18.
Factor Quadratic Expression: Factor the quadratic expression.We need to find two numbers that multiply to −18 and add up to 7. These numbers are 9 and −2 because 9×(−2)=−18 and 9+(−2)=7.So, we can write the quadratic as (y+9)(y−2).
Substitute Back: Substitute back x2 for y. Replace y with x2 in the factored form to get (x2+9)(x2−2).
Check Further Factorization: Check for further factorization. The term x2+9 cannot be factored further over the real numbers because it has no real roots. The term x2−2 can be factored as a difference of squares into (x−2)(x+2).
Write Final Form: Write the final factored form.The fully factored form of the expression is (x2+9)(x−2)(x+2).
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