Synthetic Division
Learning Outcomes
- Use synthetic division to divide polynomials.
A General Note: Synthetic Division
Synthetic division is a shortcut that can be used when the divisor is a binomial in the form x – k. In synthetic division, only the coefficients are used in the division process.How To: Given two polynomials, use synthetic division to divide
- Write k for the divisor.
- Write the coefficients of the dividend.
- Bring the leading coefficient down.
- Multiply the leading coefficient by k. Write the product in the next column.
- Add the terms of the second column.
- Multiply the result by k. Write the product in the next column.
- Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the remaining columns.
- Use the bottom numbers to write the quotient. The number in the last column is the remainder and has degree 0, the next number from the right has degree 1, the next number from the right has degree 2, and so on.
Example: Using Synthetic Division to Divide a Second-Degree Polynomial
Use synthetic division to divide [latex]5{x}^{2}-3x - 36[/latex] by [latex]x - 3[/latex].Answer: Begin by setting up the synthetic division. Write k and the coefficients. Bring down the leading coefficient. Multiply the leading coefficient by k. Continue by adding the numbers in the second column. Multiply the resulting number by k. Write the result in the next column. Then add the numbers in the third column. The result is [latex]5x+12[/latex]. The remainder is 0. So [latex]x - 3[/latex] is a factor of the original polynomial.
Analysis of the Solution
Just as with long division, we can check our work by multiplying the quotient by the divisor and adding the remainder. [latex-display]\left(x - 3\right)\left(5x+12\right)+0=5{x}^{2}-3x - 36[/latex-display]Example: Using Synthetic Division to Divide a Third-Degree Polynomial
Use synthetic division to divide [latex]4{x}^{3}+10{x}^{2}-6x - 20[/latex] by [latex]x+2[/latex].Answer: The binomial divisor is [latex]x+2[/latex], so [latex]k=-2[/latex]. Add each column, multiply the result by –2, and repeat until the last column is reached. The result is [latex]4{x}^{2}+2x - 10[/latex]. The remainder is 0. Thus, [latex]x+2[/latex] is a factor of [latex]4{x}^{3}+10{x}^{2}-6x - 20[/latex].
Analysis of the Solution
The graph of the polynomial function [latex]f\left(x\right)=4{x}^{3}+10{x}^{2}-6x - 20[/latex] shows a zero at [latex]x=-2[/latex]. This confirms that [latex]x+2[/latex] is a factor of [latex]4{x}^{3}+10{x}^{2}-6x - 20[/latex].Example: Using Synthetic Division to Divide a Fourth-Degree Polynomial
Use synthetic division to divide [latex]-9{x}^{4}+10{x}^{3}+7{x}^{2}-6[/latex] by [latex]x - 1[/latex].Answer: Notice there is no x term. We will use a zero as the coefficient for that term. The result is [latex]-9{x}^{3}+{x}^{2}+8x+8+\frac{2}{x - 1}[/latex].
Try It
Use synthetic division to divide [latex]3{x}^{4}+18{x}^{3}-3x+40[/latex] by [latex]x+7[/latex].Answer: [latex]3{x}^{3}-3{x}^{2}+21x - 150+\frac{1,090}{x+7}[/latex]
Example: Using Polynomial Division in an Application Problem
The volume of a rectangular solid is given by the polynomial [latex]3{x}^{4}-3{x}^{3}-33{x}^{2}+54x[/latex]. The length of the solid is given by 3x and the width is given by x – 2. Find the height of the solid.Answer: There are a few ways to approach this problem. We need to divide the expression for the volume of the solid by the expressions for the length and width. Let us create a sketch. We can now write an equation by substituting the known values into the formula for the volume of a rectangular solid.
[latex]\begin{array}{l}V=l\cdot w\cdot h\\ 3{x}^{4}-3{x}^{3}-33{x}^{2}+54x=3x\cdot \left(x - 2\right)\cdot h\end{array}[/latex]
To solve for h, first divide both sides by 3x.[latex]\begin{array}{l}\frac{3x\cdot \left(x - 2\right)\cdot h}{3x}=\frac{3{x}^{4}-3{x}^{3}-33{x}^{2}+54x}{3x}\\ \left(x - 2\right)h={x}^{3}-{x}^{2}-11x+18\end{array}[/latex]
Now solve for h using synthetic division.[latex]h=\frac{{x}^{3}-{x}^{2}-11x+18}{x - 2}[/latex]
The quotient is [latex]{x}^{2}+x - 9[/latex] and the remainder is 0. The height of the solid is [latex]{x}^{2}+x - 9[/latex].Try It
The area of a rectangle is given by [latex]3{x}^{3}+14{x}^{2}-23x+6[/latex]. The width of the rectangle is given by x + 6. Find an expression for the length of the rectangle.Answer: [latex]3{x}^{2}-4x+1[/latex]
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