Final answer:
To write the partial fraction decomposition of a function, factorize the denominator and express it as a sum of partial fractions.
Step-by-step explanation:
To write the partial fraction decomposition of the function, we need to factorize the denominator.
(a) For the function x - 72/x² + x - 72, we can factorize the denominator as (x - 8)(x + 9). Therefore, the partial fraction decomposition would be:
x - 72/(x - 8)(x + 9)
(b) For the function 1/x² + x⁴, the denominator is already factored. Therefore, the partial fraction decomposition would be:
1/x² + x⁴