Factoring General Guidelines Flowchart
START
Is there a Yes
Factor out
GCF other the GCF
than 1?
No
What type of
Binomial polynomial is Trinomial
it?
“Unfoil”
No Is it the
Is it the
difference sum or
of squares? difference
of cubes?
More than
No
4 terms
Yes
Yes
3 3
( 2
A + B = ( A + B ) A − AB + B
2
)
A 2 − B 2 = (A + B)( A − B ) Factor by
A − B = (A − B )( A + AB + B )
3 3 2 2 grouping if
possible
Can you factor
further? Can you factor Yes Yes Can you factor
Yes further? further?
No No
DONE
DONE DONE
DONE
Philip D. Gonsalves 12/19/05