# Math Help - I need help with one problem! Its very confusing.

1. ## I need help with one problem! Its very confusing.

y=f(x)= x4-2x3-13x2-14x+24

Use synthetic division to write f in completely factored form

2. Originally Posted by Jluse7
y=f(x)= x4-2x3-13x2-14x+24

Use synthetic division to write f in completely factored form
It's almost impossible to give a reasonable answer because you have given no indication of what you know about the problem, or what hints would help. I would recommend looking for integer or rational roots, using the "rational root theorem". Do you know what that is? If you can find two rational roots, you can then use synthetic division to reduce to a quadratic function of the remaining roots and, perhaps, use the quadratic formula to solve that.

Do you know what "synthetic division" is? If not you should first look it up in your text book or "google" "synthetic division".

3. Originally Posted by Jluse7
y=f(x)= x4-2x3-13x2-14x+24

Use synthetic division to write f in completely factored form
Are you sure there is no typo in this?

CB

4. Yeah I know what synthetic division is. Here's what the problem said.

For y=f(x)= x^4-2x^3-13x^2-14x+24
a. List all the possible rational zeros of f.
Those would be 1,2,3,4,6,8,12,24 plus and minus

b. Use synthetic division to write f in completely factored form.
Its almost impossible because i tried everyone and none came out to zero

c. List the actual zeros of f.

5. Originally Posted by Jluse7
Yeah I know what synthetic division is. Here's what the problem said.

For y=f(x)= x^4-2x^3-13x^2-14x+24
a. List all the possible rational zeros of f.
Those would be 1,2,3,4,6,8,12,24 plus and minus

b. Use synthetic division to write f in completely factored form.
Its almost impossible because i tried everyone and none came out to zero

c. List the actual zeros of f.
$f(x) = x^4 - 2x^3 - 13x^2 - 14x + 24$ has no rational roots ... that's probably why the Captain asked if you had posted $f(x)$ correctly.

6. I did post it correctly. I just have no idea how to solve it.

7. Originally Posted by Jluse7
I did post it correctly. I just have no idea how to solve it.
the function has two irrational roots and two complex roots.

get out your calculator, graph f(x), and find the decimal approximations for the two real, irrational roots ... you're not going to solve this one by hand using elementary algebraic methods.