FACTORING

POLYNOMIALS
 ZERO PRODUCT PROPERTY

for all real numbers 𝑎 and 𝑏, 𝑎𝑏 = 0 if and only if

If 𝑎 = 0 If 𝑏 = 0 If 𝑎 = 0 & 𝑏 = 0
𝑎𝑏 = 0 𝑏 𝑎𝑏 = 𝑎 0 𝑎𝑏 = 0 0
𝑎𝑏 = 0 𝑎𝑏 = 0 𝑎𝑏 = 0
 FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF ALBEGRA

If 𝑃(𝑥) is a polynomial equation of degree 𝑛 and with real

3 4 Degree - 4 No. of real roots - 4

𝑥 𝑥 + 2 2𝑥 − 1 = 0 Degree - 3 No. of real roots - 3

𝑥 𝑥−4 =0
Fundamental Theorem
Degree: 2 No. of roots: 2 of Algebra
𝑥=0 ; 𝑥−4=0 Zero Product property
; 𝑥=4 Addition Property of
Equality

Therefore the roots are 0 and -4.

𝑥 − 2 𝑥 − 3 2𝑥 − 3 = 0
Degree: 3 No. of roots: 3
𝑥−2=0 ; 𝑥−3=0 ; 2𝑥 − 3 = 0
𝑥=2 ; 𝑥=3 ; 2𝑥 = 3
Therefore the roots are 2 2
𝟑 3
2, 3 and
𝟐
; 𝑥=
2
 EXAMPLE #3

𝑥+5 2 𝑥 − 1 3𝑥 + 2 = 0
Degree: 4 No. of roots: 4
𝑥 + 5 𝑥 + 5 𝑥 − 1 3𝑥 + 2 = 0
𝑥 + 5 = 0 ; 𝑥 + 5 = 0 ; 𝑥 − 1 = 0 ; 3𝑥 + 2 = 0
𝑥 = −5 ; 𝑥 = −5 ; 𝑥 = 1 ; 3𝑥 = −2
𝟐
Therefore the roots are -5, 1 and −
𝟑
3 3
2
; 𝑥=−
3
If a root occurs 𝑛 times,
it is called a root of
multiplicity 𝒏.
 EXAMPLE #3

𝑥+5 2 𝑥 − 1 3𝑥 + 2 = 0
Degree: 4 No. of roots: 4
𝑥 + 5 𝑥 + 5 𝑥 − 1 3𝑥 + 2 = 0
𝑥 + 5 = 0 ; 𝑥 + 5 = 0 ; 𝑥 − 1 = 0 ; 3𝑥 + 2 = 0
𝑥 = −5 ; 𝑥 = −5 ; 𝑥 = 1 ; 3𝑥 = −2
𝟐
Therefore the roots are -5, 1 and −
𝟑
3 3
2
-5 is a root of multiplicity 2 ; 𝑥=−
3
 EXAMPLE #4

𝑥 2 𝑥+3 3 𝑥−4 =0
Degree: 6 No. of roots: 6
2 3 ; 𝑥−4=0
𝑥 =0 ; 𝑥+3 =0
𝑥=0 ; 𝑥+3=0 ; 𝑥=4
; 𝑥 = −3
Therefore the roots are 0, -3 and 4.
0 is a root of multiplicity 2; -3 is a root of multiplicity 3
 EXAMPLE #5

𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 2 −𝑥+2=0
Degree: 3 No. of roots: 3
 DESCARTE’S RULE OF SIGNS
Let 𝑃(𝑥) be a polynomial function with
real coefficients. Then,
𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 2 − 𝑥 + 2 = 0
1.) The number of positive real zeros or
roots of 𝑃 𝑥 = 0 is either equal to the
✓ ✓
No. of positive real roots: 2 or 0
number of variations of signs of 𝑃(𝑥) or
is less than this number by a positive −𝑥 3 − 2 −𝑥 2 − −𝑥 + 2 = 0
even integer.
3 2
2.) The number of negative real zeros or −𝑥 − 2𝑥 + 𝑥 + 2 = 0
roots of 𝑃 𝑥 = 0 is either equal to the
number of variations of signs of 𝑃(−𝑥) ✓
or is less than this number by a positive No. of negative real roots: 1
even integer.
 EXAMPLE #5

𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 2 −𝑥+2=0
FTA No. of roots: 3
DRS No. of positive roots: 2 or 0; No. of negative roots: 1
 RATIONAL ROOT THEOREM
Given a polynomial function defined by:
𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 2 − 𝑥 + 2 = 0
𝑃 𝑥 = 𝑎𝑛 𝑥 𝑛 + 𝑎𝑛−1 𝑥 𝑛−1 + ⋯ + 𝑎1 𝑥 + 𝑎0 Factors of
the constant ±1 ; ±2
term:
With integer coefficients and where 𝑛 is a Factors of
non-negative integer, the possible rational the leading ±1
zeros or roots of 𝑃(𝑥) are of the form
𝑝 coefficient:
𝑞 𝑝
where 𝑝 is a factor of 𝑎0 and 𝑞 is a factor of ±1, ±2
𝑎𝑛 𝑞
𝑝 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚
𝑞
=
𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡
The possible roots are
1, −1,2, −2.
 EXAMPLE #5
3 2
𝑥 − 2𝑥 − 𝑥 + 2 = 0
FTA No. of roots: 3
DRS No. of positive roots: 2 or 0; No. of negative roots: 1
RRT The possible roots are ±1 , ±2.
Synthetic 2 1 −1 −2
Division 1 1 −2 −1 2 2 2
1 −1 −2 1 1 0
Depressed 1 −1 −2 0 𝑥 + 1 =0
Equation 𝑥 2 −𝑥 −2 = 0 𝑥 = −1
 EXAMPLE #5
3 2
𝑥 − 2𝑥 − 𝑥 + 2 = 0
Therefore the roots are 1, −1, 2.
𝑥 =1; 𝑥 = −1 ; 𝑥=2
𝑥−1=0 ; 𝑥+1=0 ; 𝑥−2=0
Factored Form: 𝑥−1 𝑥+1 𝑥−2 =0
 EXAMPLE #6
3
𝑥 − 7𝑥 + 6 = 0
FTA
DRS
RRT
Synthetic
Division