Simplifying math equation with factorials

combinatoricsfactorial

I am trying to understand how simplified that equation:
$$\frac{(x-2)!}{(x-4)!}-46=\frac{x!}{(x-1)!}$$

In my book it was solved like this:

solution in text

but I really don't understand how it happened? Where did $(x-3)(x-4)(x-5)$ come from in first fraction? It looks like I missed something fundamental about factorials…

Best Answer

$$\frac{(x-2)!}{(x-4)!}-46=\frac{x!}{(x-1)!}\iff \frac{(x-2)!}{(x-4)!}-\frac{x!}{(x-1)!}-46=0$$ $$\frac{(x-2)!}{(x-4)!}-\frac{x!}{(x-1)!}-46= \frac{(x-1)(x-2)(x-3)}{(x-1)(x-2)(x-3)}\cdot \frac{(x-2)!}{(x-4)!}-\frac{x!}{(x-1)!}-46= $$ $$=\frac{[(x-2)(x-3)]\cdot(x-1)!}{(x-1)!}-\frac{x\cdot(x-1)!}{(x-1)!}-\frac{46(x-1)!}{(x-1)!}=(x-2)(x-3)-x-46 $$

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