SOLUTION: Okay, this is just part of an equation involving fractions that i am doing, but i was wondering,can you factor u^2+u^2v^2+v^2 into two binomials? Thats all i really need for the pr

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Question 173986: Okay, this is just part of an equation involving fractions that i am doing, but i was wondering,can you factor u^2+u^2v^2+v^2 into two binomials? Thats all i really need for the problem.
thank you :)
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Looking at we can see that the first term is and the last term is where the coefficients are 1 and 1 respectively.

Now multiply the first coefficient 1 and the last coefficient 1 to get 1. Now what two numbers multiply to 1 and add to the middle coefficient 1? Let's list all of the factors of 1:

Factors of 1:
1

-1 ...List the negative factors as well. This will allow us to find all possible combinations

These factors pair up and multiply to 1
1*1
(-1)*(-1)

note: remember two negative numbers multiplied together make a positive number

Now which of these pairs add to 1? Lets make a table of all of the pairs of factors we multiplied and see which two numbers add to 1

First Number Second Number Sum
1 1 1+1=2
-1 -1 -1+(-1)=-2

None of these pairs of factors add to 1. So the expression cannot be factored