Help College Algebra Factoring

[AshyLarry]

Y^6+124Y^3-125

the ^ means to the power of
asks to factor

help

 

[Hurkyl]

One technique that is often useful in many problems is seeing if you can apply some sort of change of variable that makes a problem easier to solve, and then change back once you've solved the problem.

 

[AshyLarry]

I tried the u^2=y^6 and u=y^3, but I am still having issues

 

[robert Ihnot]

Remember, If r is a root of the equation F(x), then x-r is a factor.

 

[joe tomei]

(y^3 + 125) * (y^3 - 1)

 

[AshyLarry]

you can factor y^3 +125...anyone know how to do that?

 

[Fermat]

you could use your calculator to take the cube root of -125

 

[Werg22]

y^3 + 125= (y + 5)(y^2 - 5y + 25)

If you want proof:

a^3 + b^3
a^3 + b^3 + 3a^2b + 3ab^2 - 3a^2b - 3ab^2
(a+b)^3 - 3a^2b - 3ab^2
(a+b)^3 - 3ab(a+b)
(a+b)((a+b)^2 - 3ab)
(a+b)(a^2 + b^2 - ab)

 

[Tom McCurdy]

when did this become college algerbra?

 

[Math Is Hard]

when did this become college algerbra?

algerbra? sorry -I had a teacher back in Alabama who pronounced it that way.

 

[HallsofIvy]

I had a teacher in Boston who talked about "gammers" and "alphers".

 

[matt grime]

when did this become college algerbra?

my thoughts exactly

 

[Math Is Hard]

I had a teacher in Boston who talked about "gammers" and "alphers".

 

[selfAdjoint]

And then there was Alpher, Bethe, and Gamow.

 

[Werg22]

I don't see what is so funny...

 

[TD]

It's about how mathematicians should get at least 1 hour of Greek philology in their studies

 

[Werg22]

What is the point if they understand the concepts and teach them to their students?

 

[TD]

There is no 'point'. No-one is saying you're a worse teacher if you can't say 'alpha' correctly. It's just a thing some people appear to find funny...

 

[matt grime]

I think in many parts of the UK the er and a endings have the same pronunciation anyway. Thus we spell the diminutive of fellow as fella or feller depending on your preference. And Pitta (as inj bread) is the same as pitter (one who pits, as into pit your wits against seomthing). Or summa (summa cum laude) and summer. I would suggest that this holds true in the Boston area too. I remember being there once and being told by some american friends that I would enjoy the accent when some bloke shouted out at soem traffic lights, "use your blinker pal" (indicator) and them taking great delight in repeating it as "blink-AH"

 

[HallsofIvy]

We appear to have completely lost any mathematical content in this thread!

However, when I was in college, a delivery area behind the cafeteria had been clearly lettered "No Pahking"!

 

[amcavoy]

...and this was in Boston?

 

[HallsofIvy]

Cambridge, Mass. actually.

And I hearby swear to act like a "mentor" and not contribute anymore nonsense to this thread!

 

[Chrono]

when did this become college algerbra?

I do believe it is now College Algebra. They work their way up from linear functions, to quadratics, to cubics, and all while doing them on the calculator. However, why they're at cubics now, I'm not sure. They should probably still be on linear or starting on quadratic.