What are the steps to solve this quartic equation?

  • Thread starter Michael_Light
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In summary, the student tried to solve the equation by finding its factors and substituting them, but was unable to find any that equaled 0. They asked for hints or tips, but were told that the only other option would be to use the quartic formula, which is not recommended. The conversation also mentioned using a calculator to find approximate roots and provided a link to a page on quartic equations.
  • #1
Michael_Light
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Homework Statement



Solve the equation http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/2523/msp662119eai22g9fe584bh.gif


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



I tried to find the factor of the equation by substituting the factor of 9, that is +-1,+-3 and +-9 into the equation but none of them equal 0. I had no ideas how to solve it unless i get one of the roots of the equation... Can anyone give me any hints or tips? Thanks.
 

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  • #2
I'm afraid you're out of luck then. If this question was from school, maybe they were expecting you to approximate the roots, or there was a typo made somewhere, or they gave you a quadratic factor. If not the only other way is to use the quartic formula, and that's not something you want to do or what they would be expecting of you.

Using a calculator, I got roots [tex]x=3\pm \sqrt{6}[/tex]. This information should be sufficient for you to find all the roots and factorize it into its real quadratic factors or complex linear factors.
 
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  • #3
You can have a look at this page,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartic_equation"
Or using Mathematica,you can get four roots.
 
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What is an equation?

An equation is a mathematical statement that shows the relationship between two or more quantities. It uses symbols and numbers to represent the values of these quantities.

What does it mean to solve an equation?

Solving an equation means finding the value of the variable or unknown quantity that satisfies the equation. This is done by using algebraic operations to isolate the variable on one side of the equation.

What is the process of solving an equation?

The process of solving an equation involves using algebraic operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, to isolate the variable on one side of the equation. The steps may vary depending on the type of equation, but the goal is always to find the value of the variable that makes the equation true.

How do I check if my solution is correct?

To check if your solution is correct, you can substitute the value you found for the variable back into the original equation. If the equation is true, then your solution is correct. You can also use a calculator to evaluate the equation with your solution and see if it gives the same result on both sides.

What is the purpose of finding y in an equation?

In many equations, y represents the dependent variable, which means its value depends on the value of the independent variable. By solving for y, you can find the relationship between these two variables and use it to make predictions or solve other problems related to the equation.

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