5.

1 The Remainder and Factor Theorems; Synthetic Division

In this section you will learn to:
• understand the definition of a zero of a polynomial function
• use long and synthetic division to divide polynomials
• use the remainder theorem
• use the factor theorem

Example 1: Use long division to find the quotient and the remainder: 5593 ÷ 27

Steps for Long Division:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Example 2: Use the “Steps for Long Division” to divide each of the polynomials below.

x − 5 x 2 − 2 x − 35 (7 − 11x − 3x 2
)
+ 2 x 3 ÷ ( x − 3)

Example 3: Check your answer for the division problems in Example 2.

The Division Algorithm: If f(x) and d(x) are polynomials where d(x) ≠ 0 and degree d(x) < degree
f(x),
then
f ( x ) = d ( x ) ⋅ q ( x) + r ( x )

If r(x) = 0 then d(x) and q(x) are factors of f(x).

Page 1 (Section 5.1)
Example 4: Perform the operation below. Write the remainder as a rational expression
(remainder/divisor).

2 x 5 − 8x 4 + 2x 3 + x 2
2x3 + 1

Synthetic Division – Generally used for “short” division of polynomials when the divisor is in the
form x – c. (Refer to page 506 in your textbook for more examples.)

Example 5: Use both long and short (synthetic) division to find the quotient and remainder for the
problem below.

(2 x 3 − 11x + 7) ÷ ( x − 3)

x3 + 8
Example 6: Divide using synthetic division.
x+2

Example 7: Factor x 3 + 8 over the real numbers. (Hint: Refer to Example 6.)

Page 2 (Section 5.1)

 Remainder Theorem Factor Theorem
If the polynomial f(x) is divided by (x – c), then the Let f(x) be a polynomial.
remainder is f(c).
If f(c) = 0, then (x – c) is a factor of f(x).
If (x – c) is a factor of f(x), then f(c) = 0.
If ( x − c) is a factor of f (x) or if f (c) = 0,
then c is called a zero of f (x).

Example 8: f ( x) = 3 x 3 + 4 x 2 − 5 x + 7 . Find f (−4) using

(a) synthetic division. (b) the Remainder Theorem.

Example 9: Solve the equation 2 x 3 − 3 x 2 − 11x + 6 = 0 given that -2 is a zero of

f ( x) = 2 x 3 − 3 x 2 − 11x + 6 .

Page 3 (Section 5.1)

5.1 Homework Problems:
For Problems 1-5, use long division to find each quotient, q (x) , and remainder, r (x) .

1. ( x 2 − 2 x − 15) ÷ ( x − 5) 2. ( x 3 + 5 x 2 + 7 x + 2) ÷ ( x + 2)

x 4 − 81 18 x 4 + 9 x 3 + 3 x 2
3. (6 x 3 + 7 x 2 + 12 x − 5) ÷ (3 x − 1) 4. 5.
x−3 3x 2 + 1

For Problems 6 – 11, divide using synthetic division.

6. (2 x 2 + x − 10) ÷ ( x − 2) 7. (5 x 3 − 6 x 2 + 3 x + 11) ÷ ( x − 2) 8. ( x 2 − 5 x − 5 x 3 + x 4 ) ÷ (5 + x)

x 7 + x 5 − 10 x 3 + 12 x 4 − 256 x 5 − 2 x 4 − x 3 + 3x 2 − x + 1
9. 10. 11.
x+2 x−4 x−2

For Problems 12 – 16, use synthetic division and the Remainder Theorem to find the indicated function
value.

12. f ( x) = x 3 − 7 x 2 + 5 x − 6; f (3) 13. f ( x) = 4 x 3 + 5 x 2 − 6 x − 4; f (−2)

 1  2
14. f ( x) = 2 x 4 − 5 x 3 − x 2 + 3 x + 2; f  −  15. f ( x) = 6 x 4 + 10 x 3 + 5 x 2 + x + 1; f  − 
 2  3

16. Use synthetic division to divide f ( x) = x 3 − 4 x 2 + x + 6 by x + 1. Use the result to find all zeros of f.

17. Solve the equation 2 x 3 − 5 x 2 + x + 2 = 0 given that 2 is a zero of f ( x) = 2 x 3 − 5 x 2 + x + 2.

3
18. Solve the equation 12 x 3 + 16 x 2 − 5 x − 3 = 0 given that − is a zero (root).
2

5.1 Homework Answers: 1. q ( x) = x + 3 2. q ( x) = x 2 + 3 x + 1 3. q ( x) = 2 x 2 + 3 x + 5

4. q ( x) = x 3 + 3 x 2 + 9 x + 27 5. q ( x) = 6 x 2 + 3 x − 1; r ( x) = −3 x + 1 6. q ( x) = 2 x + 5

7. q ( x) = 5 x 2 + 4 x + 11; r ( x) = 33 8. q ( x) = x 3 − 10 x 2 + 51x − 260; r ( x) = 1300

9. q ( x) = x 6 − 2 x 5 + 5 x 4 − 10 x 3 + 10 x 2 − 20 x + 40; r ( x) = −68 10. q ( x) = x 3 + 4 x 2 + 16 x + 64

7
11. q ( x) = x 4 − x 2 + x + 1; r ( x) = 3 12. − 27 13. − 4 14. 1 15.
9
 1   3 1 1
16. x 2 − 5 x + 6; x = −1, 2, 3 17. − , 1, 2 18. − , − , 
 2   2 3 2

Page 4 (Section 5.1)

5.3 Roots of Polynomial Equations
In this section you will learn to:
• find zeros of polynomial equations
• solve polynomial equations with real and imaginary zeros
• find possible rational roots of polynomial equations
• understand properties of polynomial equatins
• use the Linear Factorization Theorem

Zeros of Polynomial Functions are the values of x for which f (x) = 0.

(Zero = Root = Solution = x-intercept (if the zero is a real number))

Example 1: Consider the polynomial that only has 3 and ½ as zeros.

(a) How many polynomials have such zeros?

(b) Find a polynomial that has a leading

coefficient of 1 that has such zeros.

(c) Find a polynomial, with integer

coefficients, that has such zeros.

If the same factor (x – r) occurs k times, then the zero r is called a zero with multiplicity k.
Even Multiplicity → Graph touches x-axis and turns around.
Odd Multiplicity → Graph crosses x-axis.

Example 2: Find all of the (real) zeros for each of the polynomial functions below. Give the multiplicity
of each zero and state whether the graph crosses the x-axis or touches (and turns at) the x-axis at each
zero. Use this information and the Leading Coefficient Test to sketch a graph of each function

(a) f ( x) = x 3 + 2 x 2 − 4 x − 8 (b) f ( x) = − x 4 + 4 x 2 (c) g ( x) = − x 4 + 4 x 3 − 4 x 2

Page 1 (Section 5.3)

The Rational Zero Theorem: If f ( x) = a n x n + a n −1 x n −1 + . . . .a 2 x 2 + a1 x + a 0 has integer coefficients
p
and (reduced to lowest terms) is a rational zero of f , then p is a factor of the constant term, a 0 ,
q
and q is a factor of the leading coefficient, a n .

Example 3: List all possible rational zeros of the polynomials below. (Refer to Rational Zero
Theorem on
Page 1 of this handout.)

(a) f ( x) = − x 5 + 7 x 2 − 12 Possible Rational Zeros: __________________________

(b) p ( x) = 6 x 3 − 8 x 2 − 8 x + 8 Possible Rational Zeros: __________________________

Example 4: Find all zeros of f ( x) = 2 x 3 − 5 x 2 + x + 2 .

Example 5: Solve x 4 − 8 x 3 + 64 x − 105 = 0.

Page 2 (Section 5.3)

Linear Factorization Theorem:

If f ( x) = a n x n + a n −1 x n −1 + . . . .a 2 x 2 + a1 x + a 0 , where n ≥ 1 and an ≠ 0, then

f ( x) = a n ( x − c1 )( x − c 2 ). . . ( x − c n ) , where c1 , c 2 , c3 , . . .c n are complex numbers.

Example 6: Find all complex zeros of f ( x) = 2 x 4 + 3 x 3 + 3 x − 2, and then write the polynomial
f (x) as a product of linear factors.

f (x) = ________________________________________________________

Properties of Polynomial Equations:

Given the polynomial f ( x) = a n x n + a n −1 x n −1 + . . . .a 2 x 2 + a1 x + a 0 .
1. If a polynomial equation is of degree n, then counting multiple roots (multiplicities) separately,
the equation has n roots.

2. If a + bi is a root of a polynomial equation ( b ≠ 0 ), then the imaginary number a − bi is also a

root. In other words, imaginary roots, if they exist, occur in conjugate pairs.

Example 7: Find all zeros of f ( x) = x 4 − 4 x 2 − 5 . (Hint: Use factoring techniques from Chapter 1.)
Write f (x) as a product of linear factors.

f (x) = ________________________________________________________
Page 3 (Section 5.3)
Example 8: Find a third-degree polynomial function, f (x ) , with real coefficients that has 4 and 2i as
zeros and such that f (−1) = 50.

Step 1: Use the zeros to find the

factors of f (x).

Step 2: Write as a linear factorization,

then expand/multiply.

Step 3: Use f (−1) = 50 to substitute

values for x and f (x).

Step 4: Solve for a n .

Step 5: Substitute a n into the equation

for f (x) and simplify.

Step 6: Use your calculator to check.

Page 4 (Section 5.3)

5.3 Homework Problems:
For Problems 1 – 4, use the Rational Zero Theorem to list all possible rational zeros for each function.

1. f ( x) = x 3 + 3 x 2 − 6 x − 8 2. f ( x) = 2 x 4 + 3 x 3 − 11x 2 − 9 x + 15

3. f ( x) = 3 x 4 − 11x 3 − 3 x 2 − 6 x + 8 4. f ( x) = 4 x 5 − 8 x 4 − x + 2

For Problems 5 – 8, find the zeros for the given functions.

5. f ( x) = x 3 − 2 x 2 − 11x + 12 6. f ( x) = 2 x 3 − 5 x 2 + x + 2

7. f ( x) = 2 x 3 + x 2 − 3 x + 1 8. f ( x) = x 3 − 4 x 2 + 8 x − 5

For Problems 9 – 12, solve each of the given equations.

9. x 3 − 2 x 2 − 7 x − 4 = 0 10. x 3 − 5 x 2 + 17 x − 13 = 0

11. 2 x 3 − 5 x 2 − 6 x + 4 = 0 12. x 4 − 2 x 2 − 16 x − 15 = 0

For Problems 13-16, find an nth degree polynomial function, f (x) , with real coefficients that satisfies
the given conditions.

13. n = 3; 1 and 5i are zeros; f (−1) = −104 14. n = 4; 2, -2, and i are zeros; f (3) = −150

15. n = 3; 6 and -5 + 2i are zeros; f (2) = −636 16. n = 4; i and 3i are zeros; f (−1) = 20

1 3 5 15
5.3 Homework Answers: 1. ± 1, ± 2, ± 4, ± 8 2. ± 1, ± 3, ± 5, ± 15, ± , ± , ± , ±
2 2 2 2
1 2 4 8 1 1 1
3. ± 1, ± 2, ± 4, ± 8, ± , ± , ± , ± 4. ± 1, ± 2, ± , ± 5. − 3, 1, 4 6. − , 1, 2
2 3 3 3 2 4 2

1 −1± 5 3 ± i 11 1 
7. , 8. 1, 9. {− 1, 4} 10. {1, 2 ± 3i} 11.  , 1 ± 5 
2 2 2 2 
12. {− 1, 3, − 1 ± 2i} 13. f ( x) = 2 x 3 − 2 x 2 + 50 x − 50 14. f ( x) = −3 x 4 + 9 x 2 + 12

15. f ( x) = 3 x 3 + 12 x 2 − 93 x − 522 16. f ( x) = x 4 + 10 x 2 + 9

Page 5 (Section 5.3)