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Factor the expression completely.

x^(4)-x^(2)-12
Answer:

Factor the expression completely.\newlinex4x212 x^{4}-x^{2}-12 \newlineAnswer:

Full solution

Q. Factor the expression completely.\newlinex4x212 x^{4}-x^{2}-12 \newlineAnswer:
  1. Recognize Form: Recognize the form of the expression.\newlineThe given expression x4x212x^4 - x^2 - 12 resembles a quadratic equation in form, where x2x^2 is like the variable 'xx' in a quadratic. We can substitute y=x2y = x^2 to make it look more familiar.
  2. Substitute yy: Substitute yy for x2x^2.\newlineSubstitute y=x2y = x^2 into the expression to get:\newliney2y12y^2 - y - 12\newlineNow, we have a quadratic equation in terms of yy.
  3. Factor Quadratic: Factor the quadratic equation.\newlineWe need to factor y2y12y^2 - y - 12. We are looking for two numbers that multiply to 12-12 and add up to 1-1 (the coefficient of yy). These numbers are 4-4 and 33.\newlineSo, we can write the factored form as:\newline(y4)(y+3)(y - 4)(y + 3)
  4. Substitute x2x^2: Substitute x2x^2 back in for yy.\newlineNow we need to replace yy with x2x^2 in the factored form:\newline(x24)(x2+3)(x^2 - 4)(x^2 + 3)
  5. Recognize Difference of Squares: Recognize the difference of squares. The term (x24)(x^2 - 4) is a difference of squares and can be further factored into: (x2)(x+2)(x - 2)(x + 2)
  6. Write Final Expression: Write the final factored expression.\newlineThe fully factored expression is:\newline(x2)(x+2)(x2+3)(x - 2)(x + 2)(x^2 + 3)

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