f(x) = 8x4 - 24x3 - 424x2 - 72x We set the right side = 0 8x4 - 24x3 - 424x2 - 72x = 0 We can factor out 8x: 8x(x3 - 3x2 - 53x - 9) = 0 So by the zero factor principle: 8x = 0 x3 - 3x2 - 53x - 9 = 0 x = 0 So we see that one rational solution is 0 Next we try to solve x3 - 3x2 - 53x - 9 = 0 If it has any rational solutions they must be ± some divisor of 9 Possible rational solutions of x3 - 3x2 - 53x - 9 = 0 are ±1, ±3, ±9 It has 1 sign change so we know it has one positive solution. Try x = 1 1 |1 -3 -53 -9 | 1 -2 -55 1 -2 -55 -64 No, 1 is not a solution, since the remainder is not 0 Try x = 3 3 |1 -3 -53 -9 | 3 0 -159 1 0 -53 -168 No, 3 is not a solution, since the remainder is not 0 Try x = 9 9 |1 -3 -53 -9 | 9 54 9 1 6 1 0 Hurray! 9 is a solution because the remainder is 0. Now we know that 0 and 3 are rational zeros of f(x). Now we have factored f(x) as f(x) = 8x(x - 9)(x2 + 6x + 1) So all the rational zeros of f(x) are 0 and 9 However there are two irrational solutions obtainable by setting x2 + 6x + 1 = 0 and using the quadratic formula: x =x = x = x = x = x = x = x = x = But you weren't asked for those two irrational zeros. The only rational zeros are 0 and 9. Edwin