Given,
$\Rightarrow \frac{x^4 + 1}{2x^2} = \frac{17}{8}$
Applying componendo and dividendo, we get
$$\begin{aligned}\Rightarrow \frac{x^4 + 1 + 2x^2}{x^4 + 1 - 2x^2} = \frac{17 + 8}{17 - 8} \\[1em] \Rightarrow \frac{(x^2 + 1)^2}{(x^2 - 1)^2} = \frac{25}{9} \\[1em] \Rightarrow \frac{x^2 + 1}{x^2 - 1} = \pm \frac{5}{3}\end{aligned}$$
Considering, $\frac{x^2 + 1}{x^2 - 1} = \frac{5}{3}$
Applying componendo and dividendo, we get
$$\begin{aligned}\Rightarrow \frac{x^2 + 1 + x^2 - 1}{x^2 + 1 - (x^2 - 1)} = \frac{5 + 3}{5 - 3} \\[1em] \Rightarrow \frac{2x^2}{2} = \frac{8}{2} \\[1em] \Rightarrow x^2 = 4 \\[1em] \Rightarrow x = \pm 2.\end{aligned}$$
Considering, $\frac{x^2 + 1}{x^2 - 1} = -\frac{5}{3}$
Applying componendo and dividendo, we get
$$\begin{aligned}\Rightarrow \frac{x^2 + 1 + x^2 - 1}{x^2 + 1 - (x^2 - 1)} = \frac{-5 + 3}{-5 - 3} \\[1em] \Rightarrow \frac{2x^2}{2} = \frac{-2}{-8} \\[1em] \Rightarrow x^2 = \frac{1}{4} \\[1em] \Rightarrow x = \sqrt{\frac{1}{4}} \\[1em] \Rightarrow x = \pm \frac{1}{2}.\end{aligned}$$
Hence, x = ±2 and $\pm \frac{1}{2}$.