factor the basic trinomial:

x^2 - x - 56

1 answer

To factor the trinomial x^2 - x - 56, we need to find two numbers that multiply to -56 and add up to -1 (the coefficient of the middle term).

The two numbers that satisfy this criteria are -8 and 7.

Therefore, the factored form of the trinomial is:
(x - 8)(x + 7)