What is the sum of the squares of the coefficients of $4(x^4 + 3x^2 + 1)$?
4(x4 + 3x2 + 1) = 4x4 + 12x2 + 4
As best I can tell, the "4" at the end is not considered a coefficient.
So....the coefficients are just 4 and 12 .
The sum of the squares of 4 and 12 = 42 + 122 = 16 + 144 = 160
yeah, I got 160 as well, but my answer checking thing says its incorrect...
Hmmm...maybe the 4 at the end is considered a coefficient. It's a coefficient of x0 .
If that's the case... then the answer = 42 + 122 + 42 = 16 + 144 + 16 = 176
Does it say that's the right answer? I'm curious now....
No, 4 is NOT a coefficient. 4, in this biquadratic expression (fancy name for a quartic expression that excludes terms with an odd degree and is written in the form \(ax^4+cx^2+e\)) is a constant.
Remember that coefficients are numbers that multiply a variable. There is no variable that alongside the number 4, so it is a plain and boring constant.