x2 – 4x – 5 = 0

What's an easier alternative to this than the quadratic equation (completing the square)?

Question

x2 – 4x – 5 = 0

What's an easier alternative to this than the quadratic equation (completing the square)?

anonymous · Answer

factor

anonymous · Answer

what two numbers multiply to make -5 and add to make -4

anonymous · Answer

can you explain further? @Thefaceless

anonymous · Answer

okay so x2-4x-5=(x-something)(x-another thing)
you need to figure out what those two things are.

anonymous · Answer

for example x2-2x+1=(x-1)(x-1)

anonymous · Answer

you can distribute to check

anonymous · Answer

does that make sense?

anonymous · Answer

I've figured out that of the equation, the x's equal 5 and -1 respectively, but instead of writing out the full equation I'm having trouble giving a more simple method to calculate it.@Thefaceless

anonymous · Answer

well the only practical methods to find solutions to a quadratics are: Quadratic formula, factor, or completing the square