In Exercises 1–16, divide using long division. State the quotient, and the remainder, r(x). (x4+2x3−4x2−5x−6)/(x2+x−2)
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Identify the dividend and divisor: The dividend is and the divisor is .
Set up the long division by writing the dividend under the division bar and the divisor outside the bar.
Divide the leading term of the dividend, , by the leading term of the divisor, , to get the first term of the quotient: .
Multiply the entire divisor by this term and subtract the result from the dividend to find the new polynomial to bring down.
Repeat the process: divide the leading term of the new polynomial by , multiply the divisor by this term, subtract, and continue until the degree of the remainder is less than the degree of the divisor.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Polynomial Long Division
Polynomial long division is a method used to divide a polynomial by another polynomial of lower degree, similar to numerical long division. It involves dividing the leading term of the dividend by the leading term of the divisor, multiplying, subtracting, and repeating until the remainder has a lower degree than the divisor.
When dividing polynomials, the result consists of a quotient polynomial and a remainder polynomial. The quotient represents how many times the divisor fits into the dividend, while the remainder is the leftover part with a degree less than the divisor, often expressed as r(x).
The degree of a polynomial is the highest power of the variable in the expression. Understanding degrees is essential in division because the division process continues until the remainder's degree is less than the divisor's degree, ensuring the division is complete.