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Mathematics 4 Online
OpenStudy (anonymous):

Solve: x^3-2x^2-5x+6=0

OpenStudy (anonymous):

Please help!

OpenStudy (turingtest):

first thing I do in these situations is check if you get lucky and have +/-1 be a solution...

OpenStudy (anonymous):

Answer: x= -2 , x= 1 and x = 3

OpenStudy (mertsj):

Did you try synthetic division?

OpenStudy (anonymous):

No, I haven't tried synthetic division because I was unsure how to start it? Do I just pick number I think will work?

OpenStudy (mertsj):

The factors of the constant term, which is 6, are +-1, +-2, +-3, +-6. Would you agree?

OpenStudy (mertsj):

The coefficient of the x^3 term is 1. So the possible rational roots are the factors of the constant term divided by the factors of 1.

OpenStudy (anonymous):

Yes that makes sense. Okay, so now I try all of those numbers?

OpenStudy (mertsj):

\[\pm1, \pm2,\pm3, \pm 6\]

OpenStudy (mertsj):

i usually start with the small ones.

OpenStudy (mertsj):

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