How do you solve a^8-b^8 ? ?

Question

pplleeaassee help me :)

and it would be a to the eighth minus b to the eighth

by the way :)

Answer 1

It would not be (a-b)^8. That would foil out to (a-b)(a-b)(a-b)......which would give you a whole lot of extra terms. You have it simplified as much as it can go

Answer 2

(a-b)^8

Answer 3

you can't do anything with it because it is not equal to anything an therefore not an equation

you cannot factor it as (a - b)^8

say you have a^2 - b^2

if you try to do (a - b)^2 which is like (a - b)(a - b), you get a^2 - 2ab + b^2, which is not the same thing

you can factor it like notthejake shows

Answer 4

this will factor as a difference of squares (I'm an idiot!):

a^8 = (a^4)^2

b^8 = (b^4)^2

(a^8 - b^8) = (a^4 - b^4) (a^4 + b^4)

but a^4 - b^4 is also a difference of squares:

(a^2 - b^2)(a^2 + b^2)(a^4 + b^4)

one mo time:

(a - b)(a + b)(a^2 + b^2)(a^4 + b^4)

that's the ticket!

Answer 5

As others said this factors as difference of squares:

a^8 - b^8

=(a^4 + b^4)(a^4 - b^4)

=(a^4 + b^4)(a^2 + b^2)(a^2 - b^2)

=(a^4 + b^4)(a^2 + b^2)(a + b)(a - b)

Answer 6

a^8 - b = (a^4 + b^4)(a^4 - b^4)

Answer 7

If it doesn't equal anything, then all you can do is factorize.

aˆ8 - bˆ8

(a - b)ˆ8 (<==ANSWER!)

Hope I helped!

Answer 8

Use difference of squares...3 times.

And NOOOOOOOOO, a^8-b^8 does NOT equal (a-b)^8...in general.