SOLUTION: HOW TO FACTOR THIS? 4x^4y^2+9x^2y^4+12x^3y^3+16x^2y+24xy^2+16

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Question 1151484: HOW TO FACTOR THIS?
4x^4y^2+9x^2y^4+12x^3y^3+16x^2y+24xy^2+16

Answer by math_helper(2461) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
I plugged it into Wolfram Alpha and got
+4x%5E4y%5E2%2B9x%5E2y%5E4%2B12x%5E3y%5E3%2B16x%5E2y%2B24xy%5E2%2B16+ = +highlight%28%282x%5E2y%2B3xy%5E2%2B4%29%5E2%29+


The only approach I can see to factoring it w/o computer help is to assume
it is a square ( 4x%5E4y%5E2+=+%282x%5E2y%29%5E2 and 16+=+4%5E2 are the hints) and then write:


Then by comparison of this last expression to the original, a=1,b=2,k=3.