- #1
Gregg
- 459
- 0
Homework Statement
Express the determinant as a product of four linear factors.
[itex]
\left(
\begin{array}{ccc}
1 & a & a^3 \\
1 & b & b^3 \\
1 & c & c^3
\end{array}
\right)
[/itex]
I'm sure that the only way to do this without hurting yourself is to operate on the determinant and take factors out. It just doesn't move. I can't see the pattern, I can't see how to get factors out of it. I add rows, columns everything.