Question

factor y2+13y+12

Answer 1

what factors of the constant 12 add the 13, the coefficient of x..?

Answer 2

oops coefficient of y

Answer 3

to factorise
\[y ^{2}+13y+12 =(y+a)(y+b)\]

so you can see that:

the constant term (12) comes from multiplying a*b
the number in front of y comes from a+b

so find 2 numbera a & b which add to give 13 and multiply to give 12....