document.write( "Question 422017: (x-2)^(x^2-x-12)=1 \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #294685 by jsmallt9(3758)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
When I first looked at your problem I thought it would be difficult. But after a few moments I realized that it is a lot easier than it looks.

\n" ); document.write( "This problem is easy because there are only three ways to raise a number to a power and get a result of 1:
  • Raising a 1 to any power always results in a 1
  • Raising a -1 to any even power results in a 1
  • Raising any number (except zero) to the zero power results in a 1

\n" ); document.write( "Let's look at all three possibilities:
\n" ); document.write( "1) Raising 1 to a power.
\n" ); document.write( "The base in your expression is x-2. If x = 3 then the base would be a 1. And since 1 to any power is a 1, it doesn't matter what the exponent works out to be. So x = 3 is a solution to your equation.

\n" ); document.write( "2) Raising -1 to an even power.
\n" ); document.write( "The base is still x-2. If x = 1 then the base would be -1. If x = 1, would the exponent, \"x%5E2-x-12\", be even? Let's see:
\n" ); document.write( "\"%28-1%29%5E2-%28-1%29-12+=+1+%2B+1+-+12+=+-10\"
\n" ); document.write( "Yes, if x = 1 the base is -1 and exponent is an even number. So x = 1 is another solution to your equation.

\n" ); document.write( "3) Raising a non-zero number to the zero power.
\n" ); document.write( "First let's find the x's that make the exponent, \"x%5E2-x-12\" zero:
\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2-x-12+=+0\"
\n" ); document.write( "As a quadratic equation we will either factor this or use the Quadratic Formula. This factors fairly easily:
\n" ); document.write( "(x-4)(x+3) = 0
\n" ); document.write( "From the Zero Product Property we know that one of the factors must be zero. So:
\n" ); document.write( "x-4 = 0 or x+3 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "Solving these we find:
\n" ); document.write( "x = 4 or x = -3
\n" ); document.write( "Now we just have to make sure the base is not zero when x is one of these numbers. When x = 4, the base, x-2, is a 2. And when x = -3, the base is -5. So when x = 4 or x = -3, the exponent is zero and the base is not. So x = 4 or x = -3 are also solutions to this equation.

\n" ); document.write( "So there are four solutions to your equation:
\n" ); document.write( "x = 3 or x = 1 or x = 4 or x = -3
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