Factorisation

[Wyes]

This is possibly a waste of a thread, so sorry folks. I need to learn me some maths over the next two months and unfortunately I've never been very good at factorising.

But uh, could anyone show me how to factorise ab - 4a^2b^2?

 

[Cherry Cola]

I don't think this is the right place to ask for that.

I for one am confused as hell.

 

[Wyes]

Yeah, couldn't think of anywhere else besides /b/. But I know the answer isn't 'SHOVE YOUR DICK IN IT' followed by 'pics or it didn't happen'.

 

[Zersy]

This is possibly a waste of a thread, so sorry folks. I need to learn me some maths over the next two months and unfortunately I've never been very good at factorising.

But uh, could anyone show me how to factorise ab - 4a^2b^2?

Go to http://www.wolframalpha.com/

This will help you like a blowjob helps a stressed office worker.

 

[Wyes]

This is possibly a waste of a thread, so sorry folks. I need to learn me some maths over the next two months and unfortunately I've never been very good at factorising.

But uh, could anyone show me how to factorise ab - 4a^2b^2?

Go to http://www.wolframalpha.com/

This will help you like a blowjob helps a stressed office worker.

You were not wrong, a considerable amount of thanks for the site, friend.

 

[Jory]

I could help you also. How you factorise it depends on what you want to get out of it, to fully factorise it, you just need to look at the largest factor that appears in all terms. In this case it's ab.

ab(1-4ab) would be the same expression factorised, as when you multiply it out you get back to the original thing.

Wolfram Alpha is awesome, but sometimes I find it misses steps out.

 

[Wyes]

I could help you also. How you factorise it depends on what you want to get out of it, to fully factorise it, you just need to look at the largest factor that appears in all terms. In this case it's ab.

ab(1-4ab) would be the same expression factorised, as when you multiply it out you get back to the original thing.

Wolfram Alpha is awesome, but sometimes I find it misses steps out.

Thanks for that. I'd gotten as far as figuring out that ab was the largest common factor, but I wasn't sure how to write it (the closest I got was ab(-4ab), which wouldn't have given me quite what I needed).