To factor the polynomial equation \( 2x^5 - 4x^3 + 2x = 0 \), we can start by factoring out the common term:
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Factor out the greatest common factor (GCF): The GCF of the terms \( 2x^5 \), \( -4x^3 \), and \( 2x \) is \( 2x \).
So we factor out \( 2x \): \[ 2x(x^4 - 2x^2 + 1) = 0 \]
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Set each factor to zero: From \( 2x = 0 \), we find: \[ x = 0 \]
Now, we need to solve the quartic equation \( x^4 - 2x^2 + 1 = 0 \). We can let \( y = x^2 \): \[ y^2 - 2y + 1 = 0 \]
This is a perfect square: \[ (y - 1)^2 = 0 \]
Thus, solving for \( y \): \[ y - 1 = 0 \implies y = 1 \] Re-substituting \( y = x^2 \): \[ x^2 = 1 \implies x = 1 \quad \text{or} \quad x = -1 \]
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Summarize the solutions: The solutions to the original polynomial equation are: \[ x = 0, \quad x = 1, \quad x = -1 \]
Thus, the complete factorization of the polynomial and the solutions to the equation \( 2x^5 - 4x^3 + 2x = 0 \) are: \[ x = 0, x = 1, x = -1 \]
The correct response is: x = -1, x = 0, x = 1.