Question

How to factorise: `a^4 -a^2b^2 - 2b^4=0` ?

Answer 1

`(a^2-2b^2)(a^2+b^2)=0`

Explanation:

This can be treated in the same way as a quadratic.
Factorise it first

The factors of `2` are `2 and 1`

`a^4-a^2b^2-2b^4 =0`

`(a^2-2b^2)(a^2+b^2)=0`