How do you complete the square for x^2+18xx2+18x?

2 Answers
May 31, 2015

(x+9)^2 = x^2 + 18x +81(x+9)2=x2+18x+81

In general,

ax^2+bx+c = a(x+b/(2a))^2 + (c - b^2/(4a))ax2+bx+c=a(x+b2a)2+(cb24a)

Notice that the term added to xx is b/(2a)b2a

May 31, 2015

For a general form, squared binomial
color(white)("XXXXX")XXXXX(x+a)^2 = x^2+2ax+a^2(x+a)2=x2+2ax+a2

So if x^2+18xx2+18x are the first two terms of a squared binomial
color(white)("XXXXX")XXXXXthen, in the general form, a=9a=9 and
color(white)("XXXXX")XXXXXa^2 = 9^2 = 81a2=92=81

Of course, if we are going to add 9^292 to the expression x^2+18xx2+18x we are also going to have to subtract it:
color(white)("XXXXX")XXXXXx^2+18xx2+18x
color(white)("XXXXX")XXXXX= x^2+18xcolor(red)(+9^2) - color(blue)(9^2)=x2+18x+9292
color(white)("XXXXX")XXXXX=color(red)((x+9)^2) color(blue)(- 81)=(x+9)281