Asked by htht

What are the solutions of the equation 9x4 – 2x2 – 7 = 0? Use u substitution to solve.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Let u = x^2. Then the equation becomes
9u^2 − 2u − 7 = 0.

Solve the quadratic:
Discriminant Δ = (−2)^2 − 4·9·(−7) = 4 + 252 = 256, sqrt Δ = 16.

u = [2 ± 16]/(18) = {1, −7/9}.

Now return to x:
- If x^2 = 1, x = ±1.
- If x^2 = −7/9, x = ± i·√7/3.

So the four solutions are x = 1, x = −1, x = (i√7)/3, x = −(i√7)/3. The real solutions are x = ±1.