2

Algebraic Expressions

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

2.3 Factoring

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Objectives
► Common Factors

► Factoring Trinomials

► Special Factoring Formulas

► Factoring an Expression Completely

► Factoring by Grouping Terms

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Factoring
We use the Distributive Property to expand algebraic
expressions. We sometimes need to reverse this process
(again using the Distributive Property) by factoring an
expression as a product of simpler ones. For example, we
can write

x2 – 4 = (x – 2)(x + 2)

We say that x – 2 and x + 2 are factors of x2 – 4.

The easiest type of factoring occurs when the terms have a
common factor.
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Common Factors

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Common Factors
The easiest type of factoring occurs when the terms have a
common factor.

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Example 1 – Factoring Out Common Factors

Factor each expression.

(a) 3x2 – 6x (b) 8x4y2 + 6x3y3 – 2xy4

Solution:
(a) The greatest common factor of the terms 3x2 and –6x is
3x, so we have
3x2 – 6x = 3x(x – 2)

(b) We note that

8, 6, and –2 have the greatest common factor 2
x4, x3, and x have the greatest common factor x
y2, y3, and y4 have the greatest common factor y2
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Example 1 – Solution cont’d

So the greatest common factor of the three terms in the

polynomial is 2xy2, and we have
8x4y2 + 6x3y3 – 2xy4
= (2xy2)(4x3) + (2xy2)(3x2y) + (2xy2)(–y2)

= 2xy2(4x3 + 3x2y – y2)

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Factoring Trinomials

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Factoring Trinomials
To factor a trinomial of the form x2 + bx + c, we note that

(x + r)(x + s) = x2 + (r + s)x + rs

so we need to choose numbers r and s so that r + s = b

and rs = c.

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Example 3 – Factoring x2 + bx + c by Trial and Error

Factor: x2 + 7x + 12

Solution:
We need to find two integers whose product is 12 and
whose sum is 7.

By trial and error we find that the two integers are 3 and 4.
Thus, the factorization is
x2 + 7x + 12 = (x + 3)(x + 4)

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Factoring Trinomials
To factor a trinomial of the form ax2 + bx + c with a  1, we
look for factors of the form px + r and qx + s:

ax2 + bx + c = (px + r)(qx + s) = pqx2 + (ps + qr)x + rs

Therefore, we try to find numbers p, q, r, and s such that

pq = a, rs = c, ps + qr = b. If these numbers are all integers,
then we will have a limited number of possibilities to try for
p, q, r, and s.

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Example 5 – Recognizing the Form of an Expression

Factor each expression.

(a) x2 – 2x – 3 (b) (5a + 1)2 – 2(5a + 1) – 3

Solution:
(a) x2 – 2x – 3 = (x – 3)(x + 1) Trial and error

(b) This expression is of the form

where represents 5a + 1. This is the same form as

the expression in part (a), so it will factor as
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Example 5 – Solution cont’d

= (5a – 2)(5a + 2)

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Special Factoring Formulas

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Special Factoring Formulas
Some special algebraic expressions can be factored using
the following formulas.

The first three are simply Special Product Formulas written

backward.

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Example 7 – Factoring Differences and Sums of Cubes

Factor each polynomial.

(a) 27x3 – 1 (b) x6 + 8

Solution:
(a) Using the Difference of Cubes Formula with A = 3x and
B = 1, we get
27x3 – 1 = (3x)3 – 13

= (3x – 1)[(3x)2 + (3x)(1) + 12]

= (3x – 1)(9x2 + 3x + 1)
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Example 7 – Solution cont’d

(b) Using the Sum of Cubes Formula with A = x2 and B = 2,

we have

x6 + 8 = (x2)3 + 23

= (x2 + 2)(x4 – 2x2 + 4)

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Special Factoring Formulas
A trinomial is a perfect square if it is of the form

A2 + 2AB + B2 or A2 – 2AB + B2

So we recognize a perfect square if the middle term

(2AB or –2AB) is plus or minus twice the product of the
square roots of the outer two terms.

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Example 8 – Recognizing Perfect Squares

Factor each trinomial.

(a) x2 + 6x + 9 (b) 4x2 – 4xy + y2

Solution:
(a) Here A = x and B = 3, so 2AB = 2  x  3 = 6x. Since the
middle term is 6x, the trinomial is a perfect square.

By the Perfect Square Formula we have

x2 + 6x + 9 = (x + 3)2

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Example 8 – Solution cont’d

(b) Here A = 2x and B = y, so 2AB = 2  2x  y = 4xy. Since

the middle term is –4xy, the trinomial is a perfect
square.

By the Perfect Square Formula we have

4x2 – 4xy + y2 = (2x – y)2

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Factoring an Expression
Completely

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Factoring an Expression Completely
When we factor an expression, the result can sometimes
be factored further.

In general, we first factor out common factors, then inspect

the result to see whether it can be factored by any of the
other methods of this section.

We repeat this process until we have factored the

expression completely.

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Example 9 – Factoring an Expression Completely

Factor each expression completely.

(a) 2x4 – 8x2 (b) x5y2 – xy6

Solution:
(a) We first factor out the power of x with the smallest
exponent.

2x4 – 8x2 = 2x2(x2 – 4) Common factor is 2x2

= 2x2(x – 2)(x + 2) Factor x2 – 4 as a difference

of squares

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Example 9 – Solution cont’d

(b) We first factor out the powers of x and y with the

smallest exponents.
x5y2 – xy6 = xy2(x4 – y4) Common factor is xy2

= xy2(x2 + y2)(x2 – y2) Factor x4 – y4 as a difference

of squares

= xy2(x2 + y2)(x + y)(x – y) Factor x2 – y2 as a difference

of squares

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Factoring by Grouping Terms

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Factoring by Grouping Terms
Polynomials with at least four terms can sometimes be
factored by grouping terms. The following example
illustrates the idea.

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Example 11 – Factoring by Grouping
Factor each polynomial.

(a) x3 + x2 + 4x + 4 (b) x3 – 2x2 – 3x + 6

Solution:
(a) x3 + x2 + 4x + 4 = (x3 + x2) + (4x + 4) Group terms

= x2(x + 1) + 4(x + 1) Factor out common factors

= (x2 + 4)(x + 1) Factor out x + 1 from each term

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Example 11 – Solution cont’d

(b) x3 – 2x2 – 3x + 6 = (x3 – 2x2) – (3x – 6) Group terms

= x2(x – 2) – 3(x –2) Factor out common

factors

= (x2 – 3)(x – 2) Factor out x – 2

from each term

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