You can write the equation using conventional symbols as 3x^2 - 2x - 5 = 0
You can recognize that the middle coefficient is equal to the sum of the other two, so those two coefficients can be used to factor the equation. (1/3)(3x +3)(3x -5) = 0 . . . . . put the coefficients in the form (1/a)(ax + ...)(ax + ...) (x+1)(3x-5) = 0 . . . . . simplify
The solutions are the values of x that make one or the other of the factors equal to zero. x = -1 x = 5/3
