document.write( "Question 427846: Hi - I am having some trouble understanding \"higher degree polynomial equations\" Can you please help me solve this, and show me how:\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "4x^4 - 2x^2 - 4 = 2\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Thank you!!! \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #297476 by richard1234(7193) $\"\"$ $\"About$

You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let $\"z+=+x%5E2\"$ so our quartic equation becomes $\"4z%5E2+-+2z+-+4+=+2\"$ --> $\"4z%5E2+-+2z+-+6+=+0\"$ --> $\"2z%5E2+-+z+-+3+=+0\"$ . This factors to $\"%282z+-+3%29%28z+%2B+1%29+=+0\"$ , so either $\"z+=+3%2F2\"$ or $\"z+=+-1\"$ . Substituting back into our expression for z in terms of x, we obtain\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " $\"x%5E2+=+3%2F2\"$ --> $\"x+=+sqrt%283%2F2%29\"$ , $\"x+=+-sqrt%283%2F2%29\"$ \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " $\"x%5E2+=+-1\"$ --> $\"x+=+i\"$ , $\"x+=+-i\"$ (i is the imaginary unit, equal to $\"sqrt%28-1%29\"$ . \n" ); document.write( "

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