Final answer:
To simplify the given expression, factor both the numerator and the denominator, cancel out the common factor, and write down the simplified form.
Step-by-step explanation:
To simplify the expression (x2-8x+7)/(x2+7x-8), we need to factor both the numerator and the denominator and then reduce the fraction by eliminating common factors.
First, we factor the numerator:
x2 - 8x + 7 = (x - 7)(x - 1)
Next, we factor the denominator:
x2 + 7x - 8 = (x + 8)(x - 1)
Now the expression looks like this:
(x - 7)(x - 1) / (x + 8)(x - 1)
We can simplify by canceling out the common factor of (x - 1):
(x - 7) / (x + 8)
This is the simplified form of the original expression.