If (x - 1/x)^2 = 2, then the value of x^2 + 1/x^2 is:

A. 2
B. 4
C. 6
D. 8

Question

If (x - 1/x)^2 = 2, then the value of x^2 + 1/x^2 is:

A. 2
B. 4
C. 6
D. 8

Accepted Answer

x^2 + 1/x^2 = 4 (option B) Expanding (x - 1/x)^2 naturally produces x^2 + 1/x^2 minus a constant, so we can isolate x^2 + 1/x^2 with a single algebraic step. This is a classic identity-based shortcut that avoids solving for x explicitly.

If (x - 1/x)^2 = 2, then the value of x^2 + 1/x^2 is: A. 2 B. 4 C. 6 D. 8