document.write( "Question 490700: I started factoring x^4-3x^3-21x^2+43x+60, but I got stuck after I synthetically divided by -1 first, now I am x^3-4x^2-17x+60. I divided by 1 and -1 and it's not working. Help! Thank you! \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #334306 by Edwin McCravy(20055)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! x⁴- 3x³ - 21x² + 43x + 60 \n" ); document.write( " \r\n" ); document.write( "Possible zeros are ± the factors of 60:\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "±1, ±2, ±3, ±4, ±5, ±6, ±10, ±12, ±15, ±20, ±30, ±60\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "It's a matter of trial and error: \r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "try -1\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "-1| 1 -3 -21 43 60\r\n" ); document.write( " | -1 4 17 -60\r\n" ); document.write( " 1 -4 -17 60 0\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Yes 1 is a zero. So the factorization so far is\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "(x-1)(x³-4x²-17x+60)\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "The possible zeros of x³-4x²-17x+60 are still\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "±1, ±2, ±3, ±4, ±5, ±6, ±10, ±12, ±15, ±20, ±30, ±60\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "try 1\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " 1| 1 -4 -17 60\r\n" ); document.write( " | 1 -3 -20\r\n" ); document.write( " 1 -3 -20 40\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "1 is not a zero of x³-4x²-17x+60\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "try -1\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "-1| 1 -4 -17 60\r\n" ); document.write( " | -1 5 12\r\n" ); document.write( " 1 -5 -12 72\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "-1 is not a zero of x³-4x²-17x+60\r\n" ); document.write( " \r\n" ); document.write( "try 2\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " 2| 1 -4 -17 60\r\n" ); document.write( " | 2 -4 -42\r\n" ); document.write( " 1 -2 -21 18\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "2 is not a zero of x³-4x²-17x+60\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "try -2\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "-2| 1 -4 -17 60\r\n" ); document.write( " | -2 12 10\r\n" ); document.write( " 1 -6 -5 70\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "-2 is not a zero of x³-4x²-17x+60\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "try 3\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " 3| 1 -4 -17 60\r\n" ); document.write( " | 3 -3 -60\r\n" ); document.write( " 1 -1 -20 0\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Yes 3 is a zero of x³-4x²-17x+60. So the factorization so far is\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "(x-1)(x-3)(x²-x-20)\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "We can factor the trinomial in the last parentheses without\r\n" ); document.write( "using synthetix division:\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "(x-1)(x-3)(x-5)(x+4)\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "That's the final factorization:\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "The zeros are 1,3,5,-4.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "Edwin\n" ); document.write( " |