Practice problem
Can the polynomial a2+b2a^2 + b^2a2+b2 be factored as (a+rb)(a+sb)(a+rb)(a+sb)(a+rb)(a+sb) for some real constants r,sr,sr,s?
Sometimes, it depends on the sum of squares.
Never, if we factor we only get complex binomial factors. You don't need to know what "complex" means to determine if this choice is the correct one or not.
Always, it is a special case of factoring!
Always, if we can factor the difference of two products we can also factor the sum of two products.
Type a concept, like “slope” or “photosynthesis”.