a/ \(4x^2-49=\left(2x\right)^2-7^2=\left(2x-7\right)\left(2x+7\right)\)
b/ \(a^2-2a-b^2-2b=\left(a^2-2a+1\right)-\left(b^2+2b+1\right)=\left(a-1\right)^2-\left(b+1\right)^2\)
\(=\left(a-1-b-1\right)\left(a-1+b+1\right)=\left(a-b-2\right)\left(a+b\right)\)