Hey guys, does anyone know the factored form of x^3-2x2-x+2?

Welcome to Fluther.

Two things:

1. We don’t do homework problems or provide answers. If you ask a question of the “how do I…?” variety, we are much more accommodating. That’s just how we roll. (And it’s part of the rules that you agreed to when you created your account. We take it seriously.)

2. When you write a quadratic equation, the form to show powers of a number or variable are indicated with a carat symbol, like so: x ^^ 3 – 2x ^^ 2 – x + 2 (and putting spaces between terms just makes it more readable). [Note: I have had to enter the carat twice in order for it to render properly in this response. You only use it once in most text.]

Okay, three things:

3. Wolfram alpha (http://www.wolframalpha.com) is a thing – and you can get the homework questions answered there explicitly, but they don’t always how their work in a way that’ll help you to understand it or get credit for it. But the answer is out there.

I recommend you start by grouping the polynomial into two groups:

(x^^3 – 2x^^2) + (-x + 2)

You can then pull out a common factor from the first group. From there you may notice something interesting that will help you.

If you’re still struggling after you try this, I can help lead you to the next step. We don’t solve people’s homework questions for them on Fluther, though.

Do what @Mariah says and then you can solve it in your head. Remember there is another side to the equation