Um... Thanks for your help, people, but... Well, first of all, I have my maths in Russian, and those English math terms are a bit confusing. And secondly,
I have asked my maths teacher today, and she solved that problem in less than a minute.
I'm sure the simplicity of it will surprise you all.
Here's how you actually supposed to do that:
x<SUP>2</SUP> + x + x<SUP>-1</SUP> + x<SUP>-2</SUP> = 4
(x<SUP>2</SUP> + 1/x<SUP>2</SUP>) + (x + 1/x) = 4
It's common knowledge that (x + 1/x)<SUP>2 </SUP>= x<SUP>2</SUP> + 2 + 1/x<SUP>2 </SUP>
<SUP></SUP>
Therefore x<SUP>2</SUP> + 1/x<SUP>2</SUP> = (x + 1/x)<SUP>2</SUP> - 2
(x + 1/x)<SUP>2</SUP> - 2 + (x + 1/x) = 4
(x + 1/x)<SUP>2 </SUP>+ (x + 1/x) - 6 = 0
Then we say that (x + 1/x) = t and solve the t<SUP>2 </SUP>+ t - 6 = 0 quadratic equation.
Sorry for bothering all you people ^^ But this way of solving might be useful if you ever come across something like that again.
Thank you all again for bothering to help me
Selena



Selena
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