<s>[INST] Confused about positive and negative signs: Find the value of $\frac{(\sqrt5 +2)^6 - (\sqrt5 - 2)^6}{8\sqrt5}$. Without tables or a calculator, find the value of $\displaystyle\frac{(\sqrt5 +2)^6 - (\sqrt5 - 2)^6}{8\sqrt5}$.
I do not understand how the positive/negative signs are obtained as shown in the book; is there a formula for expanding these kind of things (what kind of expression is it, by the way?)?

This is my solution:
$\displaystyle\frac{(\sqrt5 +2)^6 - (\sqrt5 - 2)^6}{8\sqrt5}$
$= \displaystyle\frac{[(\sqrt5+2)^3+(\sqrt5-2)^3][(\sqrt5+2)^3-(\sqrt5-2)^3]}{8\sqrt5}$
$=\displaystyle\frac{(\sqrt5+2+\sqrt5-2)[(\sqrt5+2)^2\color{red}{+}(\sqrt5+2)(\sqrt5-2)+(\sqrt5-2)^2](\sqrt5+2-\sqrt5+2)[(\sqrt5+2)^2\color{red}{-}(\sqrt5+2)(\sqrt5-2)+(\sqrt5-2)^2]}{8\sqrt5}$
$=\displaystyle\frac{[2\sqrt5(5+4\sqrt5+4+\color{red}{5-4}+5-4\sqrt5+4][4(5+4\sqrt5+4\color{red}{-(5-4)}+(5-4\sqrt5+4)]}{8\sqrt5}$
$=\displaystyle\frac{2584\sqrt5}{8\sqrt5}$
$=323$
Because of the multiplication, I still got the same answer as given in the book. However, is the book or I correct in terms of the positive/negative signs(in red)?
 [/INST] The book solution used the formulas for the sum and difference of two cubes, 
$x^3+y^3=(x+y)(x^2-xy+y^2)$ and $x^3-y^3=(x-y)(x^2+xy+y^2),$
with $x=\sqrt5+2$ and $y=\sqrt5-2$.
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