102k views
4 votes
Factor x^4 + xy^3 + x^3 + y^3. Hint, first factor a monomial. Please explain why!!!

1 Answer

0 votes

Pull an x from the first two terms

x(x^3 + y^3) + (x^3 + y^3) Now x^3 + y^3 is a common factor.

(x^3 + y^3)*(x + 1) That should be far enough. It can be factored further by factoring (x^3 + y^3) but there is no point because you can't do anything after that. But in case you want to know how x^3 + y^3 factors

(x^3 + y^3) = (x + y)(x^2 - xy + y^2)

Which means you could write original polynomial as

(x + y)(x^2 - xy + y^2)(x + 1)

Part B

You factored the x out of xy^3 so that you would have a common factor (x^3 + y^3) to pull out as a common factor for the whole polynomial.

User Edwardmp
by
8.2k points

No related questions found

Welcome to QAmmunity.org, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of our community.

9.4m questions

12.2m answers

Categories