MTH 158
Your 'question form' report has been received. Scroll down through the document to see any comments I might have inserted, and my final comment at the end.
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(x ^ (4) + 256)/(x - 4 )
I have looked for this type of expression in the book and couldnt find I may be overlooking it.
I was just reviewing one of your tests and I could not figure out how to simplify this expression.... If you could give me a step by step approach on this it would be helpful.
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You can't simplify that expression. The numerator won't factor over real numbers because x^4 + 256 cannot be zero for any real-number value of x (this is because x^4 cannot be negative, so that x^4 +256 can't be less than 256).
If the numerator was x^4 - 256 then is would factor into (x^2-16)(x^2+16); the x^2 - 16 would again factor and you would end up with (x-4)(x+4)(x^2 + 16), so the (x+4) would divide out.