How Do You Factor A 2 Variable Trinomial?

[Niko]

I hate factoring man, specifically these questions (^2=to the power of 2)

w^2 - 3wz - 10z^2

x^4 + 12x^2 + 20

If anybody could help me understand what to do that would be amazing

[Theland]

Just reminded of the genius Andrew Wiles, of Fermat fame, who began his post graduate studies with elliptical curves, which, I understand, are neither elliptical nor curved!
Mysterious!
And he's only two years younger than me!
(And he might have sneaked into Answerbank, wearing a camouflage jacket).

[Peter Pedant]

there are some really good maff series on you tube
( all will be revealed) - MIT have quite comprehensive courses

( where you learn interesting things like factors were land agents on arable farms in the C19 - but ho hum this is AB)

over lock down I did 65 h of computability - very very accessible. ( and virtually nothing on intermediate NT Greek.

[Theland]

But Peter, if I don't have a brain that is sympathetic to numbers, and it just won't sink in, then I have to remain an admiring spectator :-(

[Peter Pedant]

Andrew Wiles by 16 was conversant with all bad proofs of Fermats Theorem up to 1900.

and had a few goes at Fermat via elliptical curves - and the one wivda photo and Wiles has just said - - "and if this is true then the following theorem ( writes down Fermat) is not true for all values above two...."
and the audience start screaming ...... he's made a mistake.

[Theland]

And on the long Fermat journey, one of the Japanese guys committed suicide! (Brain burn out?)
But they helped Wiles in his quest.

[jim360]

// ... I don't have a brain that is sympathetic to numbers ... //

Just work in letters instead, problem solved!

[Theland]

Cheers!
C+A+B+B+A+G+E = GREEN

Hey it works!