x² + x³ = 810 Rearrange in descending order: x³ + x² - 810 = 0 If it has any rational solutions, they will be ± factors of 810, which are: ±1, ±2, ±3, ±5, ±6, ±9, ±10, ±15, ±18, ±27, ±30, ±45, ±54, ±81, ±90, ±135, ±162, ±270, ±405, ±810 It has one sign change so it has 1 positive solution. So we'll try the positive values with synthetic division. Notice that we have to put in a place holder for there is no x term, so we consider the equation as x³ + x² + 0x - 810 = 0 We try 1: 1|1 1 0 -810 | 1 2 2 1 2 2 -808 No We try 2: 2|1 1 0 -810 | 2 6 12 1 3 6 -798 No We try 3: 3|1 1 0 -810 | 3 12 36 1 4 12 -774 No We try 5: 5|1 1 0 -810 | 5 30 150 1 6 30 -660 No We try 6: 6|1 1 0 -810 | 6 42 252 1 7 42 -558 No We try 9: 9|1 1 0 -810 | 9 90 810 1 10 90 0 YES! So x³ + x² - 810 = 0 factors as (x - 9)(x² + 10x + 90) = 0 We use the zero-factor principle: x - 9 = 0; x² + 10x + 90 x = 9; x =x = x = x = x = x = x = x = x = x = Three solutions, one real and two imaginary: 9, , and Edwin