factoring help

ptebwwong

New member
Joined
Sep 28, 2008
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15
I need help with this problem:

Solve.
25x^2-80x+81=0

I think its prime. Is that right.
 
Why guess? Test it: \(\displaystyle 80^{2} - 4 \cdot 25 \cdot 81 = -1700\) -- No Real solutions. Certainly no Rational Solutions.

It cannot be factored with Rational numbers or with Integers.

Also, x = -(-80)/(2*25) = 8/5. This is the low point of the graph of y = 25x^2 - 80x + 81. What is the value of y at x = 8/5?
 
One little trick you can use to see if its factorable is check the discriminant.

It it is a perfect square then it is factorable.

\(\displaystyle b^{2}-4ac\)

\(\displaystyle (-80)^{2}-4(25)(81)=-1700\)

Not a perfect square and not factorable. Also, it is negative. That means it has non-real solutions.

Suppose we had \(\displaystyle 25x^{2}+15x-54\)

The discriminant is \(\displaystyle 15^{2}-4(25)(-54)=b^2-4ac=5625=75^{2}\). A perfect square, so it's factorable.

\(\displaystyle 25x^{2}+15x-54=(5x-6)(5x+9)\)
 
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