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Polynomial
Division: Simplification Sections: Simplification and reduction, Polynomial long division There are two cases for dividing polynomials: either the "division" is really just a simplification and you're just reducting a fraction, or else you need to do long polynomial division (which is covered on the next page).
This is just a simplification problem, because there is only one term in the polynomial that you're dividing by. And, in this case, there is a common factor in the numerator (top) and denominator (bottom), so it's easy to reduce this fraction. There are two ways of proceeding. I can split the division into two fractions, each with only one term on top, and then reduce:
...or else I can factor out the common factor from the top and bottom, and then cancel off:
Either way, the answer is the same: x + 2
Again, I can solve this in either of two ways: by splitting up the sum and simplifying each fraction separately: Copyright © Elizabeth Stapel 1999-2009 All Rights Reserved
...or else by taking the common factor out front and canceling it off:
Either way, the answer is the same: 3x2 – 5x
I can split the sum and reduce each fraction separately:
The numerator (top) does indeed have a common factor; it's just a rather large one. Since both terms contain the factor "x + 3", then this is a common factor, and may be factored out front:
Either way, the answer is the same: x – 2 Top | 1 | 2 | 3 | Return to Index Next >>
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Copyright © 2000-2009 Elizabeth Stapel | About | Terms of Use |
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![[ x(x + 3) - 2(x + 3) ] / (x + 3)](polys/div09.gif){kind=small}
