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1 vote
Factor the following polynomial completely:

(y⁴)² - 2(y⁴)
a) y⁸ - 2y⁴
b) y² - 2y
c) y⁴ + 2y²
d) y⁸ - 2

User Enenkey
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1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

The polynomial (y⁴)² - 2(y⁴) is a difference of squares and factors to (y⁴ + √2)(y⁴ - √2), which is none of the options provided. It's possible there was a typo in the options.

Step-by-step explanation:

The polynomial in question is (y⁴)² - 2(y⁴). To factor this completely, we recognize it as a difference of squares. A difference of squares is a polynomial of the form a² - b² which can be factored into (a + b)(a - b). In this case, a is y⁴ and b is √2 because when squared, it gives 2 ((√2)² = 2). We cannot take the square root of y⁴ because it is already a square in itself. Thus, the completely factored form of the polynomial is (y⁴ + √2)(y⁴ - √2), which is not one of the provided options. Hence, it seems there may have been a typo in the options provided.

User Scott Swezey
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8.4k points