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Find the least common multiple x³-9x,x²-2x-15,x²-5x

User Wu Wei
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Final answer:

To find the LCM of the polynomials x³-9x, x²-2x-15, and x²-5x, we factor each polynomial and then find the product of the highest powers of common factors. The LCM is x(x-5)(x^2-9) or x^4-14x^2+45x.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking to find the least common multiple (LCM) of three polynomials: x³-9x, x²-2x-15, and x²-5x. Finding the LCM of polynomials involves factoring each polynomial completely and then taking the highest powers of common factors. Upon factoring we get:

  • x³ - 9x = x(x+3)(x-3)
  • x² - 2x - 15 = (x-5)(x+3)
  • x² - 5x = x(x-5)

The LCM is then the product of the highest power of each factor present in any of the polynomials. Therefore, the LCM is x(x-5)(x+3)(x-3) which simplifies to x(x-5)(x^2-9) or x^4-14x^2+45x.

User Stephen Kellett
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