DIVISION OF

POLYNOMIALS, THE
FACTOR THEOREM,
AND REMAINDER
THEOREM
 4 3 2
REVIEW: 𝑥 + 5𝑥 − 3𝑥 − 9𝑥 + 4

x+2
−𝟐 𝟏 𝟓 −𝟑 −𝟗 𝟒

−𝟐 −𝟔 𝟏𝟖 −𝟏𝟖

𝟏 𝟑 −𝟗 𝟗 −𝟏𝟒
4 3 2
𝑥 +5𝑥 −3𝑥 −9𝑥+4 14
= 𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 9𝑥 + 9 −
3 2
x+2 x+2
REMAINDER THEOREM

If a polynomial f(x) is divided

by x – k, then the remainder is
r = f(k)
REMAINDER THEOREM

Find the remainder when f(x) = 𝟑𝒙 + 𝟕𝒙 −

𝟐

𝟐𝟎 is divided by

1. x – 2 2. x + 1 3. x + 4
f(x) = 𝟑𝒙 + 𝟕𝒙 − 𝟐𝟎
𝟐

x–2 f(2) = 𝟑(𝟐) + 𝟕 𝟐 − 𝟐𝟎

𝟐
x–2=0
x=2
f(2) = 3(4)+𝟏𝟒 − 𝟐𝟎
f(2) = 12+𝟏𝟒 − 𝟐𝟎
f(2) = 26−𝟐𝟎
f(2) = 6
f(x) = 𝟑𝒙 + 𝟕𝒙 − 𝟐𝟎
𝟐

2. x +1 f(-1) = 𝟑(−𝟏) + 𝟕 −𝟏 − 𝟐𝟎
𝟐
x +1 = 0
x = -1 f(-1) = 3(1) −𝟕 − 𝟐𝟎
f(-1) = 3 −𝟕 − 𝟐𝟎
f(-1) = −𝟒 − 𝟐𝟎
f(-1) = - 24
f(x) = 𝟑𝒙 + 𝟕𝒙 − 𝟐𝟎
𝟐

3. x +4 f(-4) = 𝟑(−𝟒) + 𝟕 −𝟒 − 𝟐𝟎
𝟐
x +4 = 0
x = -4 f(-4) = 3(16) −𝟐𝟖 − 𝟐𝟎
f(-4) = 48 −𝟐𝟖 − 𝟐𝟎
f(-4) = 2𝟎 − 𝟐𝟎
f(-4) = 0
FACTOR THEOREM

A polynomial f(x) has a

factor x – k if and only if
f(k) = 0
FACTOR THEOREM
Use synthetic division to determine whether
the first polynomial is a factor of the second.

1. x – 1, 𝑥 − 5𝑥 + 4
2

2. x – 2, 𝑥 + 2𝑥 − 8
2

3. x + 3, −3𝑥 − 5𝑥 + 18
2

4. x – 2, 𝑥 − 3𝑥 + 5𝑥 − 2
3 2
FACTOR THEOREM 2
𝑥 − 5𝑥 + 4
𝟏 𝟏 −𝟓 𝟒 x–1
𝟏 −𝟒

𝟏 −𝟒 𝟎

Since r = 0, then x – 1 is the factor of

2
𝑥 − 5𝑥 + 4
FACTOR THEOREM 2
𝑥 + 2𝑥 − 8
x–2
𝟐 𝟏 𝟐 −𝟖

𝟐 𝟖

𝟏 𝟒 𝟎

Since r = 0, then x – 2 is the factor of

2
𝑥 + 2𝑥 − 8.
 2
FACTOR THEOREM −3𝑥 − 5𝑥 + 18
x+3
−𝟑 −𝟑 −𝟓 1𝟖

𝟗 −𝟏𝟐

−𝟑 𝟒 𝟔

Since r = 6, then x + 3 is not the factor

of −3𝑥 − 5𝑥 + 18.
2
 3 2
FACTOR THEOREM 𝑥 − 3𝑥 + 5𝑥 − 2
x–2
𝟐 𝟏 −𝟑 𝟓 −𝟐

𝟐 −𝟐 𝟔

𝟏 −𝟏 𝟑 𝟒

Since r = 4, then x - 2 is not the factor

of 𝑥 − 3𝑥 + 5𝑥 − 2.
3 2