Simplify

To simplify the expression , we first factor both the numerator and the denominator.

Starting with the numerator , we need to find two numbers that multiply to and add up to . The numbers and fit the bill. Thus, we can factor the numerator as:

Next, we look at the denominator . To factor this, we can use the method of grouping or trial and error. We find two numbers that multiply to and add to . These numbers are and . We rewrite the middle term:

Now, grouping gives us:

Putting it all together, we have:

We can cancel the common term (provided ). Thus, the simplified expression is:

This is the simplified form of the original expression, as long as (to avoid division by zero).