simple factoring and brain block

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kimmy2892000

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Nov 12, 2005
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I obviously am having brain block, because I cannot for the life of me get past this problem. I am to factor the polynomial:

h^2-9hs+9s

The only factors I can come up with for +9s is (1,9), (-1,-9), (3,3), (-3,-3).
But none of these result in the sum of -9.

(h-?)(h-?)

Can someone please help drano my brain block?

Thank You!!
 
I'm not quite sure what those 's' things are doing in there. Should the last one be s<sup>2</sup>?

Anyway, have you met the quadratic formula? That part uner the square root will answer all such questions.

(-9)<sup>2</sup> - 4(1)(9) = 45 -- That's not a perfect square. You cannot factor it using Integers only.
 
sorry forgot to square the 9s on the end

the problem is

h^2-9hs-9s^2

and I still can't get it.
 
Different but no better.
(-9)²-4(1)(-9) = 117
Still not a square. Still no integer solution so no brain block.
-----------------
Gene
 
Betya it's a typo by whoever gave you that; will be h^2 - 6hs + 9s^2.
 
Thank You very much....

It is actually in a text book....but even numbered problem so no answer in the back of the book.

I will mark it up as typo....glad to know my brain is not malfunctioning! LOL
 
I'm confused. You didn't complain about our using the quadratic formula to prove there are no integer solutions but you can solve any quadratic using it. The answers to the equation as last given (after simplification) are
h=3s*(3+sqrt(13))/2 and
h=3s*(3-sqrt(13))/2
 
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