Question 65657
I think you did everything right, however, if you don't put parentheses in the appropriate places, the computer won't know what you mean.
{{{(x-2)^2(x+7)/((x-2)(x+7)^2(x-8))}}}
{{{cross((x-2))*(x-2)*cross((x+7))/(cross((x-2))*cross((x+7))*(x+7)*(x-8))}}}
{{{(x-2)/((x+7)(x-8))}}}
Type this in this way:
(x-2)/((x+7)(x-8))
If that doesn't work, you may have to put a * to indicate multiplication like this:
(x-2)/((x+7)*(x-8))
A lot of programs and teachers consider this simplified, if yours still isn't happy multiply the bottom.  Since you said it was saying to factor, I think you are probably already done, but if not:
(x-2)/(x^2-x-56)
There are a lot of ways to write the correct answer,  the best thing to do is look at some examples from the disk to see what they want.  You were separating the numerator, which is something that the books that I work out of don't do when asked to simplify, but you seemed to be doing it correctly.