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How to factor

Step 5Factoring trinomials by substitution

Factoring trinomials by substitution
9x^4 + 45x^2 + 14.

Don't you think this equation would be easier to factor with smaller numbers and variable powers?

You can substitute a lower number and variable power like so:

Set n = 3x^2 (the GCF of the variable powers, and the square root of the GCF of the coefficients of numbers multiplied by a power of x). Then substitute it in by dividing the terms in the original equation by n.

n^2 + 15n + 14.

Now you can easily factor.

(n + 14) (n + 1).

Stick the 3x^2 back into the equation where the n's are.

(3x^2 + 14) (3x^2 + 1).
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4 comments
Nov 8, 2008. 5:34 AMmi9d says:
Sorry, but shouldn't n=3.x.x ?
I mean 9.x.x times 9.x.x = 81.x.x.x.x

( sorry, can't type the power superscripts )
Sep 4, 2009. 6:55 PMMattonator says:
9x2 times 9x2 is 81 * 81 which = 6561 which is the same as 9*9*9*9 or 94.

814 is 43,046,721

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