Digital Lesson

Division of Polynomials
 Dividing Polynomials
Long division of polynomials is similar to long division of
whole numbers.

When you divide two polynomials you can check the answer
using the following:

dividend = (quotient • divisor) + remainder

The result is written in the form:

remainder
dividend  divisor  quotient +
divisor

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 Example: Divide x2 + 3x – 2 by x – 1 and check the answer.
x2
x + 2 1. x x   x
2

x
x  1 x 2  3x  2 2. x( x  1)  x 2  x
x2 + x
3. ( x 2  3x)  ( x 2  x)  2 x
2x – 2
2x + 2 2x
4. x 2 x  2
x
–4
5. 2( x  1)  2 x  2
remainder
6. ( 2 x  2)  ( 2 x  2)  4
–4
Answer: x + 2 +
x 1
Check: (x + 2) (x + 1) + (– 4) = x2 + 3x – 2 correct
quotient divisor remainder dividend

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 Example: Divide 4x + 2x3 – 1 by 2x – 2 and check the answer.
x2 + x + 3
Write the terms of the dividend in
2x  2 2x  0x  4x  13 2
descending order.
2x3 – 2x2 Since there is no x2 term in the
2x2 + 4x dividend, add 0x2 as a placeholder.
2x2 – 2x 2 x 3
2. x 2 (2 x  2)  2 x 3  2 x 2
1.  x2
6x – 1 2x
2x2
6x – 6 3. 2 x  (2 x  2 x )  2 x
3 3 2 2
4. x
2x
5 5. x(2 x  2)  2 x 2  2 x
5 6. (2 x 2  4 x)  (2 x 2  2 x)  6 x
Answer: x2 + x + 3 
2x  2 7. 6 x  3 8. 3( 2 x  2)  6 x  6
2x
Check: (x2 + x + 3)(2x – 2) + 5 9. (6 x  1)  (6 x  6)  5  remainder
= 4x + 2x3 – 1
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 Example: Divide x2 – 5x + 6 by x – 2.

x – 3
x  2 x 2  5x  6
x2 – 2x
– 3x + 6
– 3x + 6
0

Answer: x – 3 with no remainder.

Check: (x – 2)(x – 3) = x2 – 5x + 6

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 Example: Divide x3 + 3x2 – 2x + 2 by x + 3 and check the answer.

x2 + 0x – 2
x  3 x 3  3x 2  2 x  2
Note: the first subtraction x3 + 3x2
eliminated two terms from
0x2 – 2x + 2
the dividend.
– 2x – 6
Therefore, the quotient
8
skips a term.
8
Answer: x2 –2+ Check: (x + 3)(x2 – 2) + 8
x3
= x3 + 3x2 – 2x + 2

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