Factoring Polynomials

Definition:
Factoring - Expressing one polynomial as the product of the smallest possible polynomials. Greatest Common Factor (GCF) - The largest monomial that is common to all terms in a polynomial. Examples:
Factor the following. 10n + 6 = (5)(2)n + (3)(2) = 2(5n + 3) 4c2 - 12c5 =(2)(2)(c )(c ) - (2)(2)(3)(c )(c )(c )(c )(c ) = (2)(2)(c )(c )[1 - (3)(c )(c )(c )] = 4c2(1 - 3c3) 9h2k2 - 12hk2 + 24h3k = = (3)(3)(h)(k)(hk) - (3)(4)(h)(k)(k) + (3)(8)(h)(h2)(k) = (3)(h)(k)[(3)(hk) - (4)(k) + (8)(h2)] = 3hk(3hk - 4k + 8h2)

Factoring Polynomials
Exercises:
Factor the following. 1) 7w - 21 3) 9a2 - 6a 2) 4c2 - 6c3 4) 16xy - 12x

5) 45a2b - 27ab2
7) 8mn - 8mp 9) 64x6 - 48x4 + 24x2

6) 25mn3 - 15mn2 + 5m
8) 7e2 - 21e

10) 6m3n3 +3m3n2 + m2n2

Factoring Polynomials
Factoring Simple Trinomials
How would you factor a trinomial that does not have a GCF in it?

x2 + 4x + 3
Can this trinomial be factored?
The answer is yes, this trinomial can be factored and the answer is

(x + 3)(x + 1)
So how do we get two binomials as factors for of one trinomial?

Factoring Polynomials
Factoring Simple Trinomials

x2 + 4x + 3
Lets see what we know just from looking at the trinomial. 1) We need factors that will multiply together to give us the trinomial.

2) The only was to get x2 is to multiply x times x.

3) The only factors of 3 are 3 and 1.

While all of this may seem obvious, this is the key to factoring the trinomial. If we put all of this together we get

(x + 3)(x + 1)

Factoring Polynomials
Factoring Simple Trinomials

x2 + 5x + 4
Factors of 4 1, 4 2, 2 Now think about this, if you add each set of factors what do you get?

1+4=5 2+2=4
So which pair numbers do you want to use?

(x + 1)(x + 4) Or (x + 2)(x + 2)

Factoring Polynomials
Factoring Simple Trinomials

x2 - 4x + 4
Did you notice there is a negative sign or subtraction in this trinomial? The factors of 4 are going to change just a bit now. Factors of 4 1, 4 -1, -4 2, 2 -2, -2 The negative numbers come into play because a negative times a negative make a positive. So what do you think the factors for this trinomial should be? Hint:

(x

)(x

Factoring Polynomials
Factoring Simple Trinomials

x2 - 4x + 4
The factors for the trinomial above are

(x 2)(x 2) or (x 2)2
See if you can figure out how to factor the following trinomial. (Ask yourself what is the same and what is different from the other examples.)

x2 x 2

Factoring Polynomials
Factoring Simple Trinomials

x2 x 2 (x 2)(x + 1) Can you explain how we got these two factors?

Factoring Polynomials
Exercises:

Factor the Following 1) x2 + 6x + 5 2) x2 + 5x + 6 3) x2 + 7x + 12

4) x2 - 6x + 9
5) x2 - 3x + 2 6) x2 - 6x + 8 7) x2 + 4x - 5 8) x2 - x - 6

Factoring Polynomials
Raising the Ante
How would you factor a more difficult trinomial that has a leading coefficient?

2x2 + 14x - 36
Obviously, you can no longer just look at the constant at the end.
Do you have any tools that will be helpful in starting this problem? Remember to use your basic tools.

Factoring Polynomials
Raising the Ante
What would happen if we took a GCF out of the trinomial first?

2x2 + 14x - 36 2(x2 + 7x 18)

You can now factor the trinomial in the parentheses. So completely factored the original trinomial will look like

2(x+ 9)(x 2)
Moral of the Story: Always check to see if there is a GCF in the polynomial you are trying to factor.

Factoring Polynomials
Raising the Ante What happens when there isnt a GCF in the polynomial? 10x2 27x + 18
Well, here is where we need to start really working with your factor tables. STEP 1: Find the product of the leading coefficient and the trailing constant. In this case: (10)(18) = 180 Step 2: Make you factor table and find the two factors that add up to the middle coefficient. -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -180 - 90 - 60 - 45 - 36 -6 -9 -10 -12 - 30 - 20 - 18 - 15

-12 + -15 = -27

Factoring Polynomials
Raising the Ante Okay, here is where we start to get different from simple trinomials and this involves a bit of thinking on your part. Step 3: Make a box like below and put the xsquared term in the top left box and the constant in the bottom right box.

10x2 27x + 18

10x2 18

Factoring Polynomials
Raising the Ante Step 4: Fill in the remain two boxes with the two factors from Step 2 times x. Put one in each empty box.

10x2
-15x

-12x 18

Step 5: On the top and left side of the cube put the GCF for the terms that go across and up and down. 5x 6

2x

10x2 -15x

-12x 18

Factoring Polynomials
Raising the Ante Believe it or not, you now have the factors for original trinomial thanks to your box and the GCFs you found. 5x 6
2x

10x2

-12x

-15x

18

(5x 6)(2x 3) = 10x2 27x + 18

Factoring Polynomials
Exercises:

Factor the Following 1) 6x2 13x 5 2) 8x2 6x 9 3) 20x2 21x 5

4) 12x2 + 11x 5
5) 2x2 + 13x + 20 6) 3x2 19x + 6 7) 4x2 8x + 3 8) 5x2 13x 6

Factoring Polynomials
Special Cases There are three special cases for factoring. If you memorize this three cases your life will be much easier. The Difference of Squares: (a2 b2) = (a b)(a + b)

The Square of a Sum: (a2 + 2ab + b2) = (a + b)2 = (a + b)(a + b)

The Square of a Difference: (a2 2ab + b2) = (a b)2 = (a b)(a b)

WARNING: Sometimes a trinomial that will

fit these formats will require some work on your part to sort them out so they fit the appropriate form.

Factoring Polynomials
Special Cases Examples: Factor the following m2 - 81

Since in this problem

a2 = m2 and b2 = 81 So a = m and b = 9

(a2 b2) = (a b)(a + b) (m2 81) = (m 9)(m + 9)

Factor the following problem that is not quite so nice. 100s2 25t2

Factoring Polynomials
Special Cases There are two ways you can possibly handle this problem. 1) Remove the CGF 100s2 25t2 = 25(4s2 t2) Or 25((2s)2 t2) So if a2 = (2s)2 and b2 = t2 then a = 2s and b = t So 100s2 25t2 factors to the following 25(2s + t)(2s t) 2) Recognize that 100 and 25 are both perfect squares and re-write 100s2 25t2 as ((10s)2 (5t)2). In this case, 10s = a and 5t = b so the original polynomial factors as follows (10s + 5t)(10s 5t)

Factoring Polynomials
Special Cases Exercises: Factor the Following

1) x2 25
2) a2 121 3) 16x2 25y2 4) 16x2 z4 5) a4 81b8

Factoring Polynomials
Special Cases Examples: Factor the following m2 - 14m + 49

Since in this problem

a2 = m2 and b2 = 49 So a = m and b = 7 It fits the format a2 2ab + b2 And factors as follows (m 7)(m 7) = (m 7)2

Special Cases Examples: Factor the following 9x2 + 12x + 4

Since in this problem

a2 = (3x)2 and b2 = 4 So a = 3x and b = 2 It fits the format a2 + 2ab + b2 And factors as follows (3x + 2)(3x + 2) = (3x + 2)2

Factoring Polynomials
Special Cases Exercises: Factor the Following

1) r2 8r + 16
2) 49a2 28a + 4 3) 4x2 + 7xy + y2 4) 4y2 + 12yz + 4z2 5) 81a2 180a + 100

Factoring Polynomials
Why do we factor polynomials?

DEFINTION:
Zero Product Property: For all terms a and b, if ab = 0 then a = 0, b = 0 or both a and b equal 0.

What does Zero Product Property really mean? How does that apply to the following equation?

8t 2t2 = 0

Factoring Polynomials
8t 2t2 = 0 If we factor the equation and use the Zero Product Property, we can find the values for t that solve the equation. The equation factors into (2t)(4 t) = 0 So if either 2t = 0 Or (4 t) = 0 Then the equation 8t 2t2 = 0.

Factoring Polynomials
You can find the solution to 8t 2t2 = 0 For 2t = 0, t =0 and For (4 t) = 0

t=4
So the solutions for 8t 2t2 = 0 are t = 0 and t = 4

Factoring Polynomials
Exercises: Factor and solve the following

1) r3 + 2r2 = 15r
2) a3 13a2 +42a = 0 3) 4x3 9x = 0 4) y2 -24y + 144 = 0