OPERATIONS OF

POLYNOMIALS

1) Adding
2) Subtracting

3) Multiplying

4) Factoring the GCF

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 Adding and Subtracting
Polynomials
The degree of a polynomial is the greatest of the degrees of any
of its terms. The degree of a term is the sum of the exponents of
the variables. Examples: 3y2 + 5x + 7 degree 2
21x5y + 3x3 + 2y2 degree 6
Common polynomial functions are named according to their degree.

Function Equation Degree

linear f (x) = mx + b one
quadratic f (x) = ax2 + bx + c, a  0 two
cubic f (x) = ax3 + bx2 + cx + d, a  0 three
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 Adding and Subtracting
Polynomials
To add polynomials, combine like terms.
Examples: Add (5x3 + 6x2 + 3) + (3x3 – 12x2 – 10).
Use a horizontal format.
Rearrange and group like
(5x3 + 6x2 + 3) + (3x3 – 12x2 – 10)
terms.
= (5x3 + 3x3 ) + (6x2 – 12x2) + (3 – 10)
= 8x3 – 6x2 – 7 Combine like terms.

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Adding and Subtracting
Polynomials

Add (6x3 + 11x –21) + (2x3 + 10 – 3x) + (5x3 + x – 7x2 + 5).

Use a vertical format.
6x3 + 11x – 21 Arrange terms of each polynomial in
2x3 – 3x + 10 descending order with like terms in
5x3 – 7x2 + x + 5 the same column.
13x3 – 7x2 + 9x – 6 Add the terms of each column.

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Add the following polynomials
1. 5m2 + (-2m2 )
2. -4y + 6y + (-11y) + 7y
3. -2ac2 + (-8a2b) + (-13a2b) + 21ac2
4. 10x2 + (-8y) + 5x2 + (-2y)
5. (7x+3y) + (5x-4y) + (-2x-8y)
 Adding and Subtracting
Polynomials

The additive inverse of the polynomial x2 + 3x + 2 is – (x2 + 3x + 2).

This is equivalent to the additive inverse of each of the terms.
– (x2 + 3x + 2) = – x2 – 3x – 2

To subtract two polynomials, add the additive inverse of the

second polynomial to the first.

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 Adding and Subtracting
Polynomials

Example: Add (4x2 – 5xy + 2y2) – (– x2 + 2xy – y2).

(4x2 – 5xy + 2y2) – (– x2 + 2xy – y2) Rewrite the subtraction as the
= (4x2 – 5xy + 2y2) + (x2 – 2xy + y2) addition of the additive inverse.
= (4x2 + x2) + (– 5xy – 2xy) + (2y2 + y2) Rearrange and group like terms.
= 5x2 – 7xy + 3y2 Combine like terms.

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 Multiplying Polynomials

To multiply a polynomial by a monomial,

use the distributive property and the rule for
multiplying exponential expressions.

Examples:. Multiply: 2x(3x2 + 2x – 1).

= 2x(3x2 ) + 2x(2x) + 2x(–1)
= 6x3 + 4x2 – 2x
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Multiplying Polynomials

Multiply: – 3x2y(5x2 – 2xy + 7y2).

= – 3x2y(5x2 ) – 3x2y(– 2xy) – 3x2y(7y2)
= – 15x4y + 6x3y2 – 21x2y3

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 Multiplying Polynomials
To multiply two polynomials, apply the
distributive property. Don’t forget to apply
properties of exponents!!!
Example: Multiply: (x – 1)(2x2 + 7x + 3).
= (x – 1)(2x2) + (x – 1)(7x) + (x – 1)(3)
= 2x3 – 2x2 + 7x2 – 7x + 3x – 3
= 2x3 + 5x2 – 4x – 3

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 Multiplying Polynomials
Example: Multiply: (x – 1)(2x2 + 7x + 3).
Two polynomials can also be multiplied using a vertical
format.
Example: 2x2 + 7x + 3
x–1
– 2x2 – 7x – 3 Multiply – 1(2x2 + 7x + 3).
2x3 + 7x2 + 3x Multiply x(2x2 + 7x + 3).
2x3 + 5x2 – 4x – 3 Add the terms in each column.

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 Multiplying Polynomials

To multiply two binomials use a method called FOIL,

which is based on the distributive property. The letters
of FOIL stand for First, Outer, Inner, and Last.

1. Multiply the first terms. 4. Multiply the last terms.

2. Multiply the outer terms. 5. Add the products.

3. Multiply the inner terms. 6. Combine like terms.

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 Multiplying Polynomials

Examples: Multiply: (2x + 1)(7x – 5).

First Outer Inner Last
= 2x(7x) + 2x(–5) + (1)(7x) + (1)(– 5)
= 14x2 – 10x + 7x – 5
= 14x2 – 3x – 5

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Multiplying Polynomials

Multiply: (5x – 3y)(7x + 6y).

First Outer Inner Last
= 5x(7x) + 5x(6y) + (– 3y)(7x) + (– 3y)(6y)
= 35x2 + 30xy – 21yx – 18y2
= 35x2 + 9xy – 18y2

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 Special Cases for Multiplication

The multiply the sum and difference of two terms,

use this pattern:
(a + b)(a – b) = a2 – ab + ab – b2
= a2 – b2
square of the second term
square of the first term

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 Special Cases for Multiplication

Examples: (3x + 2)(3x – 2) (x + 1)(x – 1)

= (3x)2 – (2)2 = (x)2 – (1)2
= 9x2 – 4 = x2 – 1

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 Special Cases for Multiplication

To square a binomial, use this pattern:

(a + b)2 = (a + b)(a + b) = a2 + ab + ab + b2
= a2 + 2ab + b2
square of the first term
twice the product of the two terms square of the last term

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 Special Cases for Multiplication

Examples: Multiply: (2x – 2)2 .

= (2x)2 + 2(2x)(– 2) + (– 2)2
= 4x2 – 8x + 4
Multiply: (x + 3y)2 .
= (x)2 + 2(x)(3y) + (3y)2
= x2 + 6xy + 9y2
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Example: The length of a rectangle is (x + 5) ft. The width
is (x – 6) ft. Find the area of the rectangle in terms of

the variable x.
x–6

A = L · W = Area x+5
L = (x + 5) ft
W = (x – 6) ft

A = (x + 5)(x – 6 ) = x2 – 6x + 5x – 30
= x2 – x – 30
The area is (x2 – x – 30) ft2.

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 Find the greatest common factor of a list of
terms.
Recall that to factor means “to write a quantity as a
product.” For example,
 Multiplying Factoring
 6 · 2 = 12 12 = 6 · 2

Factors Product Product Factors

other factored forms of 12 are

− 6(−2), 3 · 4, −3(−4), 12 · 1, and −12(−1).

More than two factors may be used, so another factored form

of 12 is 2 · 2 · 3. The positive integer factors of 12 are
1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12.
Find the greatest common factor of a list of terms.

An integer that is a factor of two or more integers is called a

common factor of those integers. For example, 6 is a common
factor of 18 and 24. Other common factors of 18 and 24 are 1, 2,
and 3. The greatest common factor (GCF) of a list of integers
is the largest common factor of those integers. Thus, 6 is the
greatest common factor of 18 and 24.
Recall 1 that a prime number has only itself and 1 as factors.
 Find the greatest common factor of a list of
terms. (cont’d)
Factors of a number are also divisors of the number. The
greatest common factor is actually the same as the greatest
common divisor. The are many rules for deciding what numbers
to divide into a given number. Here are some especially useful
divisibility rules for small numbers.

Copyright © 2008 Pearson

Education, Inc. Publishing as
Pearson Addison-Wesley
Find the greatest common factor of a list of
terms. (cont’d)
Find the greatest common factor (GCF) of a list of numbers as
follows.
Step 1: Factor. write each number in a prime factored form.
Step 2: List common factors. List each prime number that
is a factor of every number in the list. (If a prime
does not appear in one of the prime factored forms,
it cannot appear in the greatest common
Step 3: Choose least exponents. Use as exponents on the
factor.)
common prime factors the least exponent from the
prime factored forms.
Step 4: Multiply. Multiply the primes from Step 3. If there
are no primes left after Step 3. The greatest common
factor is 1.
 Finding the Greatest Common
EXAMPLE 1 Factor for Numbers
 Find the greatest common factor for each
list of numbers.
Solution:
50, 75
50  2  5  5
GCF = 25 75  3  5  5

12, 18, 26, 32 12  2  2  3 26  2 13

GCF = 2 18  2  3  3 32  2  2  2  2  2

12, 13, 14 12  2  2  3 14  2  7
GCF = 1 13  1 13
 Finding the Greatest Common
EXAMPLE 2 Factor for Variable Terms
 Find the greatest common factor for each
list of terms. Solution:
16r 9 ,  10r15 , 8r12 16r 9  1 2  2  2  2  r 9
GCF = 2r 9 10r15  1 2  5  r15
8r12  2  2  2  r12
s 4t 6 , s 3t 6 , s 9t 2 s t  s t
4 6 4 6

s 3t 6  s 3  t 6
GCF = s 3t 2 s 9t 2  s 9  t 2
 x 2 y 3 ,  xy 5  x 2 y 3  1  x 2  y 3
 xy 5  1 x  y 5
GCF = xy 3 or  xy 3
Factor out the greatest common
factor.
Writing a polynomial (a sum) in factored form as a product is
called factoring. For example, the polynomial
3m + 12
has two terms: 3m and 12. The GCF of these terms is 3. We can
write 3m + 12 so that each term is a product of 3 as one factor.
3m + 12 = 3 · m + 3 · 4
= 3(m + 4) Distributive Property.

The factored form of 3m + 12 is 3(m + 4). This process is

called factoring out the greatest common factor.
The polynomial 3m + 12 is not in factored form when written as 3 · m + 3 · 4.
The terms are factored, but the polynomial is not. The factored form of 3m +12
is the product 3(m + 4).
 Factoring Out the Greatest
EXAMPLE 3 Common Factor
Factor out the GCF. In the fifth example,
use fractions in theSolution:
factored form.
6 x  12 x
4 2
 6x 2  x 2  2 
30t 6  25t 5  10t 4  5t 4  6t 2  5t  2 
r r
12 10  r10  r 2  1
8 p q  16 p q  12 p q
5 2 6 3 4 7
 4 p q  2 p  4 p q  3q
4 2 2 5

1 9 3 2 1 2 7
x  x  x  x  3
4 4 4
Be sure to include the 1 in a problem like r12 + r10. Always check that the
factored form can be multiplied out to give the original polynomial.
 Factoring Out the Greatest
EXAMPLE 4 Common Factor

Factor out the greatest common factor.

6 p  q  r  p  q
Solution:
 p  q  6  r 
y 4  y  3  4  y  3

 y  3   4
y 4