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17.2: The Division Algorithm

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

Recall that the division algorithm for integers (Theorem 2.9) says that if a and b are integers with b>0, then there exist unique integers q and r such that a=bq+r, where 0r<b. The algorithm by which q and r are found is just long division. A similar theorem exists for polynomials. The division algorithm for polynomials has several important consequences. Since its proof is very similar to the corresponding proof for integers, it is worthwhile to review Theorem 2.9 at this point.

Theorem 17.6. Division Algorithm

Let f(x) and g(x) be polynomials in F[x], where F is a field and g(x) is a nonzero polynomial. Then there exist unique polynomials q(x),r(x)F[x] such that

f(x)=g(x)q(x)+r(x),

where either degr(x)<degg(x) or r(x) is the zero polynomial.

Proof

We will first consider the existence of q(x) and r(x). If f(x) is the zero polynomial, then

0=0g(x)+0;

hence, both q and r must also be the zero polynomial. Now suppose that f(x) is not the zero polynomial and that degf(x)=n and degg(x)=m. If m>n, then we can let q(x)=0 and r(x)=f(x). Hence, we may assume that mn and proceed by induction on n. If

f(x)=anxn+an1xn1++a1x+a0g(x)=bmxm+bm1xm1++b1x+b0

the polynomial

f(x)=f(x)anbmxnmg(x)

has degree less than n or is the zero polynomial. By induction, there exist polynomials q(x) and r(x) such that

f(x)=q(x)g(x)+r(x),

where r(x)=0 or the degree of r(x) is less than the degree of g(x). Now let

q(x)=q(x)+anbmxnm.

Then

f(x)=g(x)q(x)+r(x),

with r(x) the zero polynomial or degr(x)<degg(x).

To show that q(x) and r(x) are unique, suppose that there exist two other polynomials q1(x) and r1(x) such that f(x)=g(x)q1(x)+r1(x) with degr1(x)<degg(x) or r1(x)=0, so that

f(x)=g(x)q(x)+r(x)=g(x)q1(x)+r1(x),

and

g(x)[q(x)q1(x)]=r1(x)r(x).

If q(x)q1(x) is not the zero polynomial, then

deg(g(x)[q(x)q1(x)])=deg(r1(x)r(x))degg(x).

However, the degrees of both r(x) and r1(x) are strictly less than the degree of g(x); therefore, r(x)=r1(x) and q(x)=q1(x).

Example 17.7

The division algorithm merely formalizes long division of polynomials, a task we have been familiar with since high school.

Solution

For example, suppose that we divide x3x2+2x3 by x2. 

      x2 + x + 4    
x 2 x3 x2 + 2x 3
      x3 2x2        
          x2 + 2x 3
          x2 2x    
              4x 3
              4x 8
                  5

Hence, x3x2+2x3=(x2)(x2+x+4)+5.

Let p(x) be a polynomial in F[x] and αF. We say that α is a zero or root of p(x) if p(x) is in the kernel of the evaluation homomorphism ϕα. All we are really saying here is that α is a zero of p(x) if p(α)=0.

Corollary 17.8

Let F be a field. An element αF is a zero of p(x)F[x] if and only if xα is a factor of p(x) in F[x].

Proof

Suppose that αF and p(α)=0. By the division algorithm, there exist polynomials q(x) and r(x) such that

p(x)=(xα)q(x)+r(x)

and the degree of r(x) must be less than the degree of xα. Since the degree of r(x) is less than 1, r(x)=a for aF; therefore,

p(x)=(xα)q(x)+a.

But

0=p(α)=0q(α)+a=a;

consequently, p(x)=(xα)q(x), and xα is a factor of p(x).

Conversely, suppose that xα is a factor of p(x); say p(x)=(xα)q(x). Then p(α)=0q(α)=0.

 

Corollary 17.9

Let F be a field. A nonzero polynomial p(x) of degree n in F[x] can have at most n distinct zeros in F.

Proof

We will use induction on the degree of p(x). If degp(x)=0, then p(x) is a constant polynomial and has no zeros. Let degp(x)=1. Then p(x)=ax+b for some a and b in F. If α1 and α2 are zeros of p(x), then aα1+b=aα2+b or α1=α2.

Now assume that degp(x)>1. If p(x) does not have a zero in F, then we are done. On the other hand, if α is a zero of p(x), then p(x)=(xα)q(x) for some q(x)F[x] by Corollary 17.8. The degree of q(x) is n1 by Proposition 17.4. Let β be some other zero of p(x) that is distinct from α. Then p(β)=(βα)q(β)=0. Since αβ and F is a field, q(β)=0. By our induction hypothesis, q(x) can have at most n1 zeros in F that are distinct from α. Therefore, p(x) has at most n distinct zeros in F.

Let F be a field. A monic polynomial d(x) is a greatest common divisor of polynomials p(x),q(x)F[x] if d(x) evenly divides both p(x) and q(x); and, if for any other polynomial d(x) dividing both p(x) and q(x), d(x)d(x). We write d(x)=gcd(p(x),q(x)). Two polynomials p(x) and q(x) are relatively prime if gcd(p(x),q(x))=1.

Proposition 17.10

Let F be a field and suppose that d(x) is a greatest common divisor of two polynomials p(x) and q(x) in F[x]. Then there exist polynomials r(x) and s(x) such that

d(x)=r(x)p(x)+s(x)q(x).

Furthermore, the greatest common divisor of two polynomials is unique.

Proof

Let d(x) be the monic polynomial of smallest degree in the set

S={f(x)p(x)+g(x)q(x):f(x),g(x)F[x]}.

We can write d(x)=r(x)p(x)+s(x)q(x) for two polynomials r(x) and s(x) in F[x]. We need to show that d(x) divides both p(x) and q(x). We shall first show that d(x) divides p(x). By the division algorithm, there exist polynomials a(x) and b(x) such that p(x)=a(x)d(x)+b(x), where b(x) is either the zero polynomial or degb(x)<degd(x). Therefore,

b(x)=p(x)a(x)d(x)=p(x)a(x)(r(x)p(x)+s(x)q(x))=p(x)a(x)r(x)p(x)a(x)s(x)q(x)=p(x)(1a(x)r(x))+q(x)(a(x)s(x))

is a linear combination of p(x) and q(x) and therefore must be in S. However, b(x) must be the zero polynomial since d(x) was chosen to be of smallest degree; consequently, d(x) divides p(x). A symmetric argument shows that d(x) must also divide q(x); hence, d(x) is a common divisor of p(x) and q(x).

To show that d(x) is a greatest common divisor of p(x) and q(x), suppose that d(x) is another common divisor of p(x) and q(x). We will show that d(x)d(x). Since d(x) is a common divisor of p(x) and q(x), there exist polynomials u(x) and v(x) such that p(x)=u(x)d(x) and q(x)=v(x)d(x). Therefore,

d(x)=r(x)p(x)+s(x)q(x)=r(x)u(x)d(x)+s(x)v(x)d(x)=d(x)[r(x)u(x)+s(x)v(x)].

Since d(x)d(x), d(x) is a greatest common divisor of p(x) and q(x).

Finally, we must show that the greatest common divisor of p(x) and q(x) is unique. Suppose that d(x) is another greatest common divisor of p(x) and q(x). We have just shown that there exist polynomials u(x) and v(x) in F[x] such that d(x)=d(x)[r(x)u(x)+s(x)v(x)]. Since

degd(x)=degd(x)+deg[r(x)u(x)+s(x)v(x)]

and d(x) and d(x) are both greatest common divisors, degd(x)=degd(x). Since d(x) and d(x) are both monic polynomials of the same degree, it must be the case that d(x)=d(x).

Notice the similarity between the proof of Proposition 17.10 and the proof of Theorem 2.10.


This page titled 17.2: The Division Algorithm is shared under a GNU Free Documentation License 1.3 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Thomas W. Judson (Abstract Algebra: Theory and Applications) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.

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