Learning Outcomes
- Simplify a polynomial expression using the quotient property of exponents
- Divide a polynomial by a monomial
- Use long division to divide polynomials.
- Use synthetic division to divide polynomials.
Simplify Expressions Using the Quotient Property of Exponents
Now we will look at the exponent properties for division. A quick memory refresher may help before we get started. In Fractions you learned that fractions may be simplified by dividing out common factors from the numerator and denominator using the Equivalent Fractions Property. This property will also help us work with algebraic fractions—which are also quotients.
Equivalent Fractions Property
If [latex]a,b,c[/latex] are whole numbers where [latex]b\ne 0,c\ne 0[/latex], then
[latex]\frac{a}{b}=\frac{a\cdot c}{b\cdot c}\text{ and }\frac{a\cdot c}{b\cdot c}=\frac{a}{b}[/latex]
As before, we’ll try to discover a property by looking at some examples.
[latex]\begin{array}{cccccccccc}\text{Consider}\hfill & & & \hfill \frac{{x}^{5}}{{x}^{2}}\hfill & & & \text{and}\hfill & & & \hfill \frac{{x}^{2}}{{x}^{3}}\hfill \\ \text{What do they mean?}\hfill & & & \hfill \frac{x\cdot x\cdot x\cdot x\cdot x}{x\cdot x}\hfill & & & & & & \hfill \frac{x\cdot x}{x\cdot x\cdot x}\hfill \\ \text{Use the Equivalent Fractions Property.}\hfill & & & \hfill \frac{\overline{)x}\cdot \overline{)x}\cdot x\cdot x\cdot x}{\overline{)x}\cdot \overline{)x}\cdot 1}\hfill & & & & & & \hfill \frac{\overline{)x}\cdot \overline{)x}\cdot 1}{\overline{)x}\cdot \overline{)x}\cdot x}\hfill \\ \text{Simplify.}\hfill & & & \hfill {x}^{3}\hfill & & & & & & \hfill \frac{1}{x}\hfill \end{array}[/latex]
Notice that in each case the bases were the same and we subtracted the exponents.
- When the larger exponent was in the numerator, we were left with factors in the numerator and [latex]1[/latex] in the denominator, which we simplified.
- When the larger exponent was in the denominator, we were left with factors in the denominator, and [latex]1[/latex] in the numerator, which could not be simplified.
We write:
[latex]\begin{array}{ccccc}\frac{{x}^{5}}{{x}^{2}}\hfill & & & & \hfill \frac{{x}^{2}}{{x}^{3}}\hfill \\ {x}^{5 - 2}\hfill & & & & \hfill \frac{1}{{x}^{3 - 2}}\hfill \\ {x}^{3}\hfill & & & & \hfill \frac{1}{x}\hfill \end{array}[/latex]
Quotient Property of Exponents
If [latex]a[/latex] is a real number, [latex]a\ne 0[/latex], and [latex]m,n[/latex] are whole numbers, then
[latex]\frac{{a}^{m}}{{a}^{n}}={a}^{m-n},m>n\text{ and }\frac{{a}^{m}}{{a}^{n}}=\frac{1}{{a}^{n-m}},n>m[/latex]
A couple of examples with numbers may help to verify this property.
[latex]\begin{array}{cccc}\frac{{3}^{4}}{{3}^{2}}\stackrel{?}{=}{3}^{4 - 2}\hfill & & & \hfill \frac{{5}^{2}}{{5}^{3}}\stackrel{?}{=}\frac{1}{{5}^{3 - 2}}\hfill \\ \frac{81}{9}\stackrel{?}{=}{3}^{2}\hfill & & & \hfill \frac{25}{125}\stackrel{?}{=}\frac{1}{{5}^{1}}\hfill \\ 9=9 \hfill & & & \hfill \frac{1}{5}=\frac{1}{5}\hfill \end{array}[/latex]
When we work with numbers and the exponent is less than or equal to [latex]3[/latex], we will apply the exponent. When the exponent is greater than [latex]3[/latex] , we leave the answer in exponential form.
example
Simplify:
1. [latex]\frac{{x}^{10}}{{x}^{8}}[/latex]
2. [latex]\frac{{2}^{9}}{{2}^{2}}[/latex]
Solution
To simplify an expression with a quotient, we need to first compare the exponents in the numerator and denominator.
1. | |
Since 10 > 8, there are more factors of [latex]x[/latex] in the numerator. | [latex]\frac{{x}^{10}}{{x}^{8}}[/latex] |
Use the quotient property with [latex]m>n,\frac{{a}^{m}}{{a}^{n}}={a}^{m-n}[/latex] . | [latex]{x}^{\color{red}{10-8}}[/latex] |
Simplify. | [latex]{x}^{2}[/latex] |
2. | |
Since 9 > 2, there are more factors of 2 in the numerator. | [latex]\frac{{2}^{9}}{{2}^{2}}[/latex] |
Use the quotient property with [latex]m>n,\frac{{a}^{m}}{{a}^{n}}={a}^{m-n}[/latex]. | [latex]{2}^{\color{red}{9-2}}[/latex] |
Simplify. | [latex]{2}^{7}[/latex] |
Notice that when the larger exponent is in the numerator, we are left with factors in the numerator.
try it
example
Simplify:
1. [latex]\frac{{b}^{10}}{{b}^{15}}[/latex]
2. [latex]\frac{{3}^{3}}{{3}^{5}}[/latex]
Notice that when the larger exponent is in the denominator, we are left with factors in the denominator and [latex]1[/latex] in the numerator.
try it
Now let’s see if you can determine when you will end up with factors in the denominator, and when you will end up with factors in the numerator.
example
Simplify:
1. [latex]\frac{{a}^{5}}{{a}^{9}}[/latex]
2. [latex]\frac{{x}^{11}}{{x}^{7}}[/latex]
try it
example
Simplify the expression: [latex]\frac{40x^2y^6}{8xy}[/latex]
try it
Watch the following video for more examples of how to simplify quotients that contain exponents. Pay attention to the last example where we demonstrate the difference between subtracting terms with exponents, and subtracting exponents to simplify a quotient.
Divide a polynomial by a monomial
We will expand upon what has already been discussed. We will now add another layer to this idea by dividing polynomials by monomials, and by binomials.
The distributive property states that you can distribute a factor that is being multiplied by a sum or difference, and likewise you can distribute a divisor that is being divided into a sum or difference. In this example, you can add all the terms in the numerator, then divide by 2.
[latex]\frac{\text{dividend}\rightarrow}{\text{divisor}\rightarrow}\,\,\,\,\,\, \frac{8+4+10}{2}=\frac{22}{2}=11[/latex]
Or you can first divide each term by 2, then simplify the result.
[latex]\frac{8}{2}+\frac{4}{2}+\frac{10}{2}=4+2+5=11[/latex]
Either way gives you the same result. The second way is helpful when you can’t combine like terms in the numerator. Let’s try something similar with a binomial.
Example
Divide. [latex]\frac{9a^3+6a}{3a^2}[/latex]
Show Solution
In the next example, you will see that the same ideas apply when you are dividing a trinomial by a monomial. You can distribute the divisor to each term in the trinomial and simplify using the rules for exponents. As we have throughout the course, simplifying with exponents includes rewriting negative exponents as positive. Pay attention to the signs of the terms in the next example, we will divide by a negative monomial.
Example
Divide. [latex]\frac{27{{y}^{4}}+6{{y}^{2}}-18}{-6y}[/latex]
Show Solution
try it
Use long division to divide polynomials
We are familiar with the long division algorithm for ordinary arithmetic. We begin by dividing into the digits of the dividend that have the greatest place value. We divide, multiply, subtract, include the digit in the next place value position, and repeat. For example, let’s divide 178 by 3 using long division.
Another way to look at the solution is as a sum of parts. This should look familiar, since it is the same method used to check division in elementary arithmetic.
We call this the Division Algorithm and will discuss it more formally after looking at an example.
Division of polynomials that contain more than one term has similarities to long division of whole numbers. We can write a polynomial dividend as the product of the divisor and the quotient added to the remainder. The terms of the polynomial division correspond to the digits (and place values) of the whole number division. This method allows us to divide two polynomials. For example, if we were to divide [latex]2{x}^{3}-3{x}^{2}+4x+5[/latex] by [latex]x+2[/latex] using the long division algorithm, it would look like this:
We have found
or
We can identify the dividend, the divisor, the quotient, and the remainder.
Writing the result in this manner illustrates the Division Algorithm.
A General Note: The Division Algorithm
The Division Algorithm states that, given a polynomial dividend [latex]f\left(x\right)[/latex] and a non-zero polynomial divisor [latex]d\left(x\right)[/latex] where the degree of [latex]d\left(x\right)[/latex] is less than or equal to the degree of [latex]f\left(x\right)[/latex], there exist unique polynomials [latex]q\left(x\right)[/latex] and [latex]r\left(x\right)[/latex] such that
[latex]f\left(x\right)=d\left(x\right)q\left(x\right)+r\left(x\right)[/latex]
[latex]q\left(x\right)[/latex] is the quotient and [latex]r\left(x\right)[/latex] is the remainder. The remainder is either equal to zero or has degree strictly less than [latex]d\left(x\right)[/latex].
If [latex]r\left(x\right)=0[/latex], then [latex]d\left(x\right)[/latex] divides evenly into [latex]f\left(x\right)[/latex]. This means that, in this case, both [latex]d\left(x\right)[/latex] and [latex]q\left(x\right)[/latex] are factors of [latex]f\left(x\right)[/latex].
How To: Given a polynomial and a binomial, use long division to divide the polynomial by the binomial.
- Set up the division problem.
- Determine the first term of the quotient by dividing the leading term of the dividend by the leading term of the divisor.
- Multiply the answer by the divisor and write it below the like terms of the dividend.
- Subtract the bottom binomial from the top binomial.
- Bring down the next term of the dividend.
- Repeat steps 2–5 until reaching the last term of the dividend.
- If the remainder is non-zero, express as a fraction using the divisor as the denominator.
Example: Using Long Division to Divide a Second-Degree Polynomial
Divide [latex]5{x}^{2}+3x - 2[/latex] by [latex]x+1[/latex].
Example: Using Long Division to Divide a Third-Degree Polynomial
Divide [latex]6{x}^{3}+11{x}^{2}-31x+15[/latex] by [latex]3x - 2[/latex].
Try It
Divide [latex]16{x}^{3}-12{x}^{2}+20x - 3[/latex] by [latex]4x+5[/latex].
Try It
Use synthetic division to divide polynomials
As we’ve seen, long division of polynomials can involve many steps and be quite cumbersome. Synthetic division is a shorthand method of dividing polynomials for the special case of dividing by a linear factor whose leading coefficient is 1.
To illustrate the process, recall the example at the beginning of the section.
Divide [latex]2{x}^{3}-3{x}^{2}+4x+5[/latex] by [latex]x+2[/latex] using the long division algorithm.
The final form of the process looked like this:
There is a lot of repetition in the table. If we don’t write the variables but, instead, line up their coefficients in columns under the division sign and also eliminate the partial products, we already have a simpler version of the entire problem.
Synthetic division carries this simplification even a few more steps. Collapse the table by moving each of the rows up to fill any vacant spots. Also, instead of dividing by 2, as we would in division of whole numbers, then multiplying and subtracting the middle product, we change the sign of the “divisor” to –2, multiply and add. The process starts by bringing down the leading coefficient.
We then multiply it by the “divisor” and add, repeating this process column by column, until there are no entries left. The bottom row represents the coefficients of the quotient; the last entry of the bottom row is the remainder. In this case, the quotient is [latex]2x{^2} -7x+18[/latex] and the remainder is –31. The process will be made more clear in Example 3.
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 lead coefficient down.
- Multiply the lead 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].
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].
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].
Try It
Use synthetic division to divide [latex]3{x}^{4}+18{x}^{3}-3x+40[/latex] by [latex]x+7[/latex].
Try It
Use polynomial division to solve application problems
Polynomial division can be used to solve a variety of application problems involving expressions for area and volume. We looked at an application at the beginning of this section. Now we will solve that problem in the following example.
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.
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.
Key Equations
Division Algorithm | [latex]f\left(x\right)=d\left(x\right)q\left(x\right)+r\left(x\right)[/latex] where [latex]q\left(x\right)\ne 0[/latex] |
Key Concepts
- Polynomial long division can be used to divide a polynomial by any polynomial with equal or lower degree.
- The Division Algorithm tells us that a polynomial dividend can be written as the product of the divisor and the quotient added to the remainder.
- Synthetic division is a shortcut that can be used to divide a polynomial by a binomial in the form x – k.
- Polynomial division can be used to solve application problems, including area and volume.
Glossary
- Division Algorithm
- given a polynomial dividend [latex]f\left(x\right)[/latex] and a non-zero polynomial divisor [latex]d\left(x\right)[/latex] where the degree of [latex]d\left(x\right)[/latex] is less than or equal to the degree of [latex]f\left(x\right)[/latex], there exist unique polynomials [latex]q\left(x\right)[/latex] and [latex]r\left(x\right)[/latex] such that [latex]f\left(x\right)=d\left(x\right)q\left(x\right)+r\left(x\right)[/latex] where [latex]q\left(x\right)[/latex] is the quotient and [latex]r\left(x\right)[/latex] is the remainder. The remainder is either equal to zero or has degree strictly less than [latex]d\left(x\right)[/latex].
- synthetic division
- a shortcut method that can be used to divide a polynomial by a binomial of the form x – k
Section R.3 Homework Exercises
1. If division of a polynomial by a binomial results in a remainder of zero, what can be conclude?
2. If a polynomial of degree n is divided by a binomial of degree 1, what is the degree of the quotient?
For the following exercises, use long division to divide. Specify the quotient and the remainder.
3. [latex]\left({x}^{2}+5x - 1\right)\div \left(x - 1\right)[/latex]
4. [latex]\left(2{x}^{2}-9x - 5\right)\div \left(x - 5\right)[/latex]
5. [latex]\left(3{x}^{2}+23x+14\right)\div \left(x+7\right)[/latex]
6. [latex]\left(4{x}^{2}-10x+6\right)\div \left(4x+2\right)[/latex]
7. [latex]\left(6{x}^{2}-25x - 25\right)\div \left(6x+5\right)[/latex]
8. [latex]\left(-{x}^{2}-1\right)\div \left(x+1\right)[/latex]
9. [latex]\left(2{x}^{2}-3x+2\right)\div \left(x+2\right)[/latex]
10. [latex]\left({x}^{3}-126\right)\div \left(x - 5\right)[/latex]
11. [latex]\left(3{x}^{2}-5x+4\right)\div \left(3x+1\right)[/latex]
12. [latex]\left({x}^{3}-3{x}^{2}+5x - 6\right)\div \left(x - 2\right)[/latex]
13. [latex]\left(2{x}^{3}+3{x}^{2}-4x+15\right)\div \left(x+3\right)[/latex]
For the following exercises, use synthetic division to find the quotient.
14. [latex]\left(3{x}^{3}-2{x}^{2}+x - 4\right)\div \left(x+3\right)[/latex]
15. [latex]\left(2{x}^{3}-6{x}^{2}-7x+6\right)\div \left(x - 4\right)[/latex]
16. [latex]\left(6{x}^{3}-10{x}^{2}-7x - 15\right)\div \left(x+1\right)[/latex]
17. [latex]\left(4{x}^{3}-12{x}^{2}-5x - 1\right)\div \left(2x+1\right)[/latex]
18. [latex]\left(9{x}^{3}-9{x}^{2}+18x+5\right)\div \left(3x - 1\right)[/latex]
19. [latex]\left(3{x}^{3}-2{x}^{2}+x - 4\right)\div \left(x+3\right)[/latex]
20. [latex]\left(-6{x}^{3}+{x}^{2}-4\right)\div \left(2x - 3\right)[/latex]
21. [latex]\left(2{x}^{3}+7{x}^{2}-13x - 3\right)\div \left(2x - 3\right)[/latex]
22. [latex]\left(3{x}^{3}-5{x}^{2}+2x+3\right)\div \left(x+2\right)[/latex]
23. [latex]\left(4{x}^{3}-5{x}^{2}+13\right)\div \left(x+4\right)[/latex]
24. [latex]\left({x}^{3}-3x+2\right)\div \left(x+2\right)[/latex]
25. [latex]\left({x}^{3}-21{x}^{2}+147x - 343\right)\div \left(x - 7\right)[/latex]
26. [latex]\left({x}^{3}-15{x}^{2}+75x - 125\right)\div \left(x - 5\right)[/latex]
27. [latex]\left(9{x}^{3}-x+2\right)\div \left(3x - 1\right)[/latex]
28. [latex]\left(6{x}^{3}-{x}^{2}+5x+2\right)\div \left(3x+1\right)[/latex]
29. [latex]\left({x}^{4}+{x}^{3}-3{x}^{2}-2x+1\right)\div \left(x+1\right)[/latex]
30. [latex]\left({x}^{4}-3{x}^{2}+1\right)\div \left(x - 1\right)[/latex]
31. [latex]\left({x}^{4}+2{x}^{3}-3{x}^{2}+2x+6\right)\div \left(x+3\right)[/latex]
32. [latex]\left({x}^{4}-10{x}^{3}+37{x}^{2}-60x+36\right)\div \left(x - 2\right)[/latex]
33. [latex]\left({x}^{4}-8{x}^{3}+24{x}^{2}-32x+16\right)\div \left(x - 2\right)[/latex]
34. [latex]\left({x}^{4}+5{x}^{3}-3{x}^{2}-13x+10\right)\div \left(x+5\right)[/latex]
35. [latex]\left({x}^{4}-12{x}^{3}+54{x}^{2}-108x+81\right)\div \left(x - 3\right)[/latex]
36. [latex]\left(4{x}^{4}-2{x}^{3}-4x+2\right)\div \left(2x - 1\right)[/latex]
37. [latex]\left(4{x}^{4}+2{x}^{3}-4{x}^{2}+2x+2\right)\div \left(2x+1\right)[/latex]
For the following exercises, use the graph of the third-degree polynomial and one factor to write the factored form of the polynomial suggested by the graph. The leading coefficient is one.
38. Factor is [latex]{x}^{2}-x+3[/latex]
39. Factor is [latex]\left({x}^{2}+2x+4\right)[/latex]
40. Factor is [latex]{x}^{2}+2x+5[/latex]
41. Factor is [latex]{x}^{2}+x+1[/latex]
42. Factor is [latex]{x}^{2}+2x+2[/latex]
For the following exercises, use synthetic division to find the quotient and remainder.
43. [latex]\frac{4{x}^{3}-33}{x - 2}[/latex]
44. [latex]\frac{2{x}^{3}+25}{x+3}[/latex]
45. [latex]\frac{3{x}^{3}+2x - 5}{x - 1}[/latex]
46. [latex]\frac{-4{x}^{3}-{x}^{2}-12}{x+4}[/latex]
47. [latex]\frac{{x}^{4}-22}{x+2}[/latex]
For the following exercises, use a calculator with CAS to answer the questions.
48. Consider [latex]\frac{{x}^{k}-1}{x - 1}[/latex] with [latex]k=1, 2, 3[/latex]. What do you expect the result to be if k = 4?
49. Consider [latex]\frac{{x}^{k}+1}{x+1}[/latex] for [latex]k=1, 3, 5[/latex]. What do you expect the result to be if k = 7?
50. Consider [latex]\frac{{x}^{4}-{k}^{4}}{x-k}[/latex] for [latex]k=1, 2, 3[/latex]. What do you expect the result to be if k = 4?
51. Consider [latex]\frac{{x}^{k}}{x+1}[/latex] with [latex]k=1, 2, 3[/latex]. What do you expect the result to be if k = 4?
52. Consider [latex]\frac{{x}^{k}}{x - 1}[/latex] with [latex]k=1, 2, 3[/latex]. What do you expect the result to be if k = 4?
For the following exercises, use synthetic division to determine the quotient involving a complex number.
53. [latex]\frac{x+1}{x-i}[/latex]
54. [latex]\frac{{x}^{2}+1}{x-i}[/latex]
55. [latex]\frac{x+1}{x+i}[/latex]
56. [latex]\frac{{x}^{2}+1}{x+i}[/latex]
57. [latex]\frac{{x}^{3}+1}{x-i}[/latex]
For the following exercises, use the given length and area of a rectangle to express the width algebraically.
58. Length is [latex]x+5[/latex], area is [latex]2{x}^{2}+9x - 5[/latex].
59. Length is [latex]2x\text{ }+\text{ }5[/latex], area is [latex]4{x}^{3}+10{x}^{2}+6x+15[/latex]
60. Length is [latex]3x - 4[/latex], area is [latex]6{x}^{4}-8{x}^{3}+9{x}^{2}-9x - 4[/latex]
For the following exercises, use the given volume of a box and its length and width to express the height of the box algebraically.
61. Volume is [latex]12{x}^{3}+20{x}^{2}-21x - 36[/latex], length is [latex]2x+3[/latex], width is [latex]3x - 4[/latex].
62. Volume is [latex]18{x}^{3}-21{x}^{2}-40x+48[/latex], length is [latex]3x - 4[/latex], width is [latex]3x - 4[/latex].
63. Volume is [latex]10{x}^{3}+27{x}^{2}+2x - 24[/latex], length is [latex]5x - 4[/latex], width is [latex]2x+3[/latex].
64. Volume is [latex]10{x}^{3}+30{x}^{2}-8x - 24[/latex], length is 2, width is [latex]x+3[/latex].
For the following exercises, use the given volume and radius of a cylinder to express the height of the cylinder algebraically.
65. Volume is [latex]\pi \left(25{x}^{3}-65{x}^{2}-29x - 3\right)[/latex], radius is [latex]5x+1[/latex].
66. Volume is [latex]\pi \left(4{x}^{3}+12{x}^{2}-15x - 50\right)[/latex], radius is [latex]2x+5[/latex].
67. Volume is [latex]\pi \left(3{x}^{4}+24{x}^{3}+46{x}^{2}-16x - 32\right)[/latex], radius is [latex]x+4[/latex].