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I was trying to wrap my brain around this but could not think of anything. I am very poor at maths but trying to learn of it.

Edit: Exact question is

If $x^2+x-6$ is a composite function $f(g(x))$; then figure out $f(x)$ and $g(x)$ ?

To me information looks incomplete to figure out such details.

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    I suppose you mean, how to factor the polynomial?2010-11-23
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    high school algebra $\neq$ linear-algebra. retagged as polynomials.2010-11-23
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    Hmm well that changes things a little bit. But now your problem does not have a unique solution.2010-11-23
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    There are potentially many ways of doing this in general. For e.g. take $f(x)=x-6$ and $g(x)=x^2+x$.2010-11-24
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    Among the many possibilities, there's $g(x)=x+\frac12$ and $f(x)=x^2-\frac{25}{4}$2010-11-24
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    It may be awfully cheap, but consider $f(x)=x^2+x-6$, and $g(x)=x$. Then $f(g(x))=f(x)=x^2+x-6$.2010-11-24
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    I think I understand now. thanks a lot Timothy and J.M.2010-11-24
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    @yunone: cheap is good. Often is helps illuminate what was really wanted, or what restrictions should have been imposed, in the question2010-12-25
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    @Willie: (high school algebra) == (algebra-precalculus)2011-01-24

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