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Factoring
Special Factoring
Objectives
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 4
7.3 Special Factoring
Difference of Squares
x2 – y2 = (x + y)(x – y)
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 5
7.3 Special Factoring
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 6
7.3 Special Factoring
A2 – B2 (A + B)(A – B)
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 7
7.3 Special Factoring
Caution
CAUTION
Assuming no greatest common factor except 1, it is not possible to
factor (with real numbers) a sum of squares, such as x2 + 16.
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 8
7.3 Special Factoring
x2 + 2xy + y2 = (x + y)2
x2 – 2xy + y2 = (x – y)2
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 9
7.3 Special Factoring
Here 9g2 = (3g)2 and 49 = 72. The sign of the middle term is –, so if
9g2 – 42g + 49 is a perfect square trinomial, the factored form will
have to be
(3g – 7)2.
Take twice the product of the two terms to see if this is correct.
2(3g)(–7) = –42g
This is the middle term of the given trinomial, so
9g2 – 42g + 49 = (3g – 7)2.
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 10
7.3 Special Factoring
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 11
7.3 Special Factoring
= (n + 5)2,
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 12
7.3 Special Factoring
(d) c2 – 6c + 9 – h2
Since there are four terms, we will use factoring by grouping. The first
three terms here form a perfect square trinomial. Group them together,
and factor as follows.
(c2 – 6c + 9) – h2 = (c – 3)2 – h2
The result is the difference of squares. Factor again to get
= (c – 3 + h)(c – 3 – h).
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 13
7.3 Special Factoring
Difference of Cubes
Difference of Cubes
x3 – y3 = (x – y)(x2 + xy + y2)
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 14
7.3 Special Factoring
(a) a3 – 125 = a3 – 53
= (a – 5)(a2 + 5a + 52)
= (a – 5)(a2 + 5a + 25)
a3 –125
–5a
Opposite of the product of the cube
roots gives the middle term.
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 15
7.3 Special Factoring
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 16
7.3 Special Factoring
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 17
7.3 Special Factoring
Sum of Cubes
Sum of Cubes
x3 + y3 = (x + y)(x2 – xy + y2)
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 18
7.3 Special Factoring
Note on Signs
NOTE
The sign of the second term in the binomial factor of a sum or difference
of cubes is always the same as the sign in the original polynomial.
In the trinomial factor, the first and last terms are always positive;
the sign of the middle term is the opposite of the sign of the second term
in the binomial factor.
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 19
7.3 Special Factoring
(a) n 3 + 8 = n3 + 23
= (n + 2)(n2 – 2n + 22)
= (n + 2)(n2 – 2n + 4)
= 2(k3 + 53)
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 21
7.3 Special Factoring
Factoring Summary
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Sec 7.3 - 22