Final answer:
The equation x⁶+y⁶= (x² + y²) (x⁴ − x²y² +y⁴) is an identity because upon expanding the right-hand side, it simplifies to the left-hand side, confirming that the equation holds true for all values of x and y.
Step-by-step explanation:
We are asked to determine if the equation x⁶+y⁶= (x² + y²) (x⁴ − x²y² +y⁴) is an identity. An identity in algebra is an equation that is true for all values of the variables involved.
To verify if the given equation is an identity, we should expand the right-hand side of the equation and see if it equals the left-hand side.
Expanding the right-hand side:
- (x² + y²)(x⁴ - x²y² + y⁴)
- = x²(x⁴ - x²y² + y⁴) + y²(x⁴ - x²y² + y⁴)
- = x⁶ - x⁴y² + x²y⁴ + x⁴y² - x²y⁴ + y⁶
- = x⁶ + y⁶
As we can see, after expanding the right-hand side, we get the left-hand side, which means the equation is indeed an identity.