To find the value of a, we first need to simplify the left side of the equation.
The expression on the left is:
9x + 49x + 4
Combine the like terms:
(9x + 49x) + 4 = 58x + 4
Now we have:
58x + 4 = ax^2 + b
In order to compare both sides of the equation, we should note that there is no x^2 term on the left side, implying that the coefficient a must be 0. This is because for the equation to hold true across all values of x, both sides must be equal, and having an x^2 term on the right without one on the left would lead to inconsistencies.
Thus, we conclude that a = 0.