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Assignment 1: The Remainder Theorem

1. Using polynomial long division, find the quotient and remainder when

12x4 − 40x3 − 101x2 − x + 36

is divided by

(i) 3x + 2

(ii) 2x2 − 11x + 5

(iii) 4x3 − 16x2 − 23x + 10

2. Using the remainder theorem, find the remainder when:

(a) 2x2 − 13x + 10 is divided by x − 3.

(b) x3 − 3x2 + 5x − 9 is divided by x − 2.

(c) x3 + 4x2 + 6x + 5 is divided by x + 2.

(d) x6 − x3 − 1 is divided by x + 2.

(e) 9x2 + 6x − 10 is divided by 3x + 1.

(f) 3x3 + 3x2 − 11x + 8 is divided by 3x − 1.

(g) 6x3 + x2 + 1 is divided by 2x − 3.

(h) 3(x + 4)2 − (1 − x)3 is divided by x.

(i) (2x − 1)3 + 6(3 + 4x)2 − 10 is divided by 2x + 1.

3. Show that f (x) is divisible (i.e., remainder = 0) by g(x).

(a) f (x) = 3x4 + 11x3 + 7x2 − 11x − 10, g(x) = x − 1

(b) f (x)2x3 + 13x2 + 13x − 10, g(x) = x + 2

(c) f (x) = 6x3 + 19x2 + 9x − 10, g(x) = 3x + 5

(d) f (x) = x4 − 5x2 + 4, g(x) = x + 2

(e) f (x) = 2x5 − 3x4 − 10x3 + 15x2 + 8x − 12, g(x) = 2x − 3

4. Find the value of k if 5x5 + 2kx3 − 6kx2 + 9 has a remainder of 22 when divided by x − 1.

5. The polynomial x3 +ax2 +bx−3 leaves a remainder of 27 when divided by x−2 and a remainder
of 3 when divided by x + 1. Calculate the remainder when the polynomial is divided by x − 1.

6. The expression 6x2 − 2x + 3 leaves the remainder of 3 when divided by x − p. Determine the
values of p.
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7. Given that the expression x3 − ax2 + bx + c leaves the same remainder when divided by x + 1
or x − 2, find a in terms of b.

8. The expressions x3 − 7x + 6 and x3 − x2 − 4x + 24 have the same remainder when divided by

x + p. Find the possible values of p.

9. If the polynomial x3 − 3x2 + ax − b is divided by (x − 2) and (x + 2), the remainders are 21

and 1 respectively. Find the values of a and b.

10. Given that the remainder when x3 − x2 + ax is divided by x + a where a > 0, is twice the
remainder when it is divided by x − 2a, find the value of a.

11. The remainder when ax3 + bx2 + 2x + 3 is divided by x − 1 is twice when it is divided by x + 1,
show that b = 3a + 3.

12. The remainder when x4 + 3x2 − 2x + 2 is divided by x + a is the square of the remainder when
x2 − 3 is divided by x + a. Calculate the possible values of a.

13. The expression ax3 − x2 + bx − 1 leaves the remainders of −33 and 77 when divided by x + 2
and x − 3 respectively. Find the value of a and b and find the remainder when the expression
is divided by x − 2.

14. When the polynomial x3 − 3x2 + kx + 7 is divided by x + 3, the remainder is 1 . Find the value
of k.

15. When x3 + ax2 + bx − 1 is divided by x − 1 the remainder is 3 and when divided by x + 2 the
remainder is −27. Find a and b.

16. Find the value of n for which the division of x2n − 7xn + 5 by x − 2 gives the remainder of 13 .
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17. The remainder when a(a − b)(a + b) is divided by a − 2b is . Find the numerical value of b.
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18. The remainder when px3 + qx2 + 2x + 1 is divided by x + 1 is twice the remainder when it is
divided by x − 1, find the relation between p and q.

19. Given that the expression x2 − 10x + 14 leaves the same remainder when divided x + 2b or
x + 2c, where b ̸= c, show that b + c + 5 = 0.

20. The expression 5x2 − 10x + 4 has the same remainder when divided by x − 2p or x + q where
2p ̸= −q. Find the value of 2p − q.

21. When the expression ax3 + 5x2 + bx + 4 and bx3 + 9x2 + ax − 6 are divided by x + 3, the
remainders are −14 and −12 respectively. Find the value a and b.
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22. Given that f (x) = kx3 + (3k − 2)x2 − 4, where k is a constant. If f (x) is divisible by x + 2,
find the value of k. With this value k, find the remainder when f (x) is divided by (2x − 1)

23. The expression x3 + 8x2 + px − 25 leaves a remainder of R when divided by x − 1 and a

remainder of −R when divided by x + 2. Find the value of p. Hence find the remainder when
the expression is divided by x + 3.

24. The polynomial ax2 + bx + c leaves remainder 1,2 , and 9 when divided by x, x − 1 and x − 2
respectively. What are the values of a, b and c ?

25. If the polynomial x4 − 6x3 + 16x2 − 25x + 10 is divided by another polynomial x2 − 2x + k, the
remainder comes out to be x + a, find k and a.

26. When a cubic polynomial f (x) is divided by x − 1, the remainder is 12 . When f (x) is divided
by x − 4 the remainder is 3 . Find the remainder when f (x) is divided by (x − 1)(x − 4)
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27. Given that x5 + ax3 + bx2 − 3 = x2 − 1 Q(x) − x − 2, where Q(x) is a polynomial. State the
degree of Q(x) and find the values of a and b. Find also the remainder when Q(x) is divided
by x + 2.

28. When the expression 2x4 + px3 + 5x2 + 7 is divided by (x + 1)(x − 2), the remainder is qx + 18.
Find the values of p and of q.

29. If R1 is the remainder when 2x3 + 3x2 − 4ax − 8 is divided by x + 1, R2 is the remainder
3x3 − ax2 + 2x − 10 is divided by and x − 2 and 3R1 − 2R2 = 3, find the value of a.

30. When a polynomial f (x) is divided by (x − 5), the remainder is 12 and when f (x) is divided
by x − 6, the remainder is 14 . If f (x) is identically equal to (x − 5)(x − 6)g(x)+ ax + b, find
the remainder when f (x) is divided by x2 − 11x + 30. If f (x) is of the form x3 + px2 + 10 + r
and f (1) = 64, find g(x).

31. Find the value of n for which the division of x2n − 7xn + 5 by x − 2 gives a remainder of 13.

32. When the polynomials ax3 + 5x2 + 3x + 4 and 3x3 + 9x2 + ax − 6 are divided by x + 3, the
remainders are A and B respectively. Find the values of a if A + B = 4

33. The remainder when 2x3 + kx2 + 7 is divided by x − 2 is half the remainder when the same
expression is divided by 2x − 1. Find the value of k.

34. The remainder when x4 + 3x2 − 2x + 2 is divided by x + a is the square of the remainder when
x2 − 3 is divided by x + a. Calculate the possible values of a.