Question

How do you factor `0 = x^3 + 4x^2 -3x - 18`?

Answer 1

First, this polynomial doesn't have (x - 1) and (x + 1) as factor.

Try: x = 2 -> f(x) = 8 + 16 - 6 - 18 = 0, then (x - 2) is a factor.

Next, divide or guess:

`f(x) = (x - 2)(x^2 + 6x + 9) = (x -2).(x + 3)^2`