Question 1175475: Factor the following expression completely:
x^2-16z+60 Found 3 solutions by ikleyn, MathLover1, greenestamps:Answer by ikleyn(52798) (Show Source):
It will factor into the product of two linear polynomials.
The positive constant ("+60") tells us that the signs in both factors are the same; then the negative linear term ("-16x") tells us the signs are both negative.
So the polynomial factors in the form
With the given coefficients -16 and +60, we need two integers a and b with a sum of 16 and a product of 60. Quick mental arithmetic tells us the two numbers are 6 and 10. So