Answer:
Our two numbers are:

Or, approximately 7.66 and 3.66.
Step-by-step explanation:
Let the two numbers be <em>a </em>and <em>b</em>.
One positive real number is four less than another. So, we can write that:

The sum of the squares of the two numbers is 72. Therefore:

Substitute:

Solve for <em>a. </em>Expand:

Simplify:

Divide both sides by two:

Subtract 36 from both sides:

The equation isn't factorable. So, we can use the quadratic formula:

In this case, <em>a</em> = 1, <em>b</em> = -4, and <em>c</em> = -28. Substitute:

Evaluate:

So, our two solutions are:

Since the two numbers are positive, we can ignore the second solution.
So, our first number is:

And since the second number is four less, our second number is:
