How do you factor 4x^2 + 94x2+9?

1 Answer
Jan 15, 2017

There are no simpler factors with Real coefficients, but:

4x^2+9 = (2x-3i)(2x+3i)4x2+9=(2x3i)(2x+3i)

Explanation:

Note that x^2 >= 0x20 for any Real value of xx.

Hence 4x^2+9 >= 94x2+99 for all Real values of xx.

So 4x^2+94x2+9 has no linear factors with Real coefficients.

It is possible to factor it with Complex coefficients.

The difference of squares identity can be written:

a^2-b^2 = (a-b)(a+b)a2b2=(ab)(a+b)

In conjunction with i^2=-1i2=1, we find:

4x^2+9 = (2x)^2-(3i)^2 = (2x-3i)(2x+3i)4x2+9=(2x)2(3i)2=(2x3i)(2x+3i)