Question 49049
wHAT IS FACTORING AND HOW DO I FACTOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS: X TO THE 2ND POWER MINUS XY PLUS 2X MINUS 2Y
FACTORING MEANS TO CONVERT THE GIVEN POLYNOMIAL IN TO A MONOMIAL.THAT IS HERE WE HAVE IN YOUR EXAMPLE
X^2-XY+2X-2Y...HAS 4 TERMS...WE HAVE TO WRITE IT AS A PRODUCT OF MONOMIALS WHICH WILL BE A MONOMIAL.WE DO IT USING COMMON FACTORS/FORMULAE ON IDENTITIES ETC...
WE HAVE HERE
=X(X-Y)+2(X-Y)=(X-Y)(X+2)...WITHIN BRACKETS IT IS CONSIDERED AS 1 TERM .PRODUCT ALSO KEEPS IT AS ONE TERM ONLY.