document.write( "Question 1209700: Find all roots of the polynomial
\n" ); document.write( "f(x) = x^4 - 5x^3 + 5x^2 + 17x - 42 + 4x^4 + 10x^3 - 18x^2 + 2x - 5. \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #849844 by mccravyedwin(407)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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document.write( "I smell a rat!!! And not just because of the approximate AI solution, allegedly\r\n" );
document.write( "posted by CPhill(682).\r\n" );
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document.write( "Finding roots of quartics (4th degree polynomial equations) such as this one,\r\n" );
document.write( "which is solvable only by using Ferrari's method, is a very advanced algebraic\r\n" );
document.write( "topic which would only be taught in an advanced university course.  I studied\r\n" );
document.write( "both Cardano's method for solving the general cubic, and Ferrari's method for\r\n" );
document.write( "solving the general quartic as a university junior, in a course which, back\r\n" );
document.write( "then, was called \"Theory of Equations\".  \r\n" );
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document.write( "So why would a teacher assigning such an advanced problem as this, give the\r\n" );
document.write( "quartic in the form above, instead of giving it in the form where all the like\r\n" );
document.write( "terms were already combined, namely, like this:\r\n" );
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document.write( "\"f%28x%29=5x%5E4+%2B+5x%5E3+-+13x%5E2+%2B+19x+-+47\"\r\n" );
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document.write( "This is not a quartic polynomial with rational roots that can be solved by\r\n" );
document.write( "the P/Q method and synthetic division.  It can only be solved in terms of\r\n" );
document.write( "radicals using Ferrari's method. \r\n" );
document.write( "  \r\n" );
document.write( "Teachers of such advanced topics as this DO NOT assign problems in forms that\r\n" );
document.write( "test them to see if they understand one of the most elementary topics of\r\n" );
document.write( "beginning algebra, taught in middle school, i.e., that of 'combining like terms'.\r\n" );
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document.write( "This is like a chemistry professor testing chemistry students taking advanced\r\n" );
document.write( "university chemistry courses, such as qualitative or quantitative analysis, if\r\n" );
document.write( "they know that the chemical formula for water is H2O.   \r\n" );
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document.write( "Thus, I strongly suspect this problem is bogus, posted by a troll.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin
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