Skip to main content
Mathematics LibreTexts

6: Factoring

  • Page ID
    19890
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    • 6.1: The Greatest Common Factor
      We begin this section with definitions of factors and divisors. Because 24=2⋅12 , both 2 and 12 are factors of 24 . However, note that 2 is also a divisor of 24 , because when you divide 24 by 2 you get 12 , with a remainder of zero. Similarly, 12 is also a divisor of 24 , because when you divide 24 by 12 you get 2 , with a remainder of zero.
    • 6.2: Solving Nonlinear Equations
      We begin by introducing a property that will be used extensively in this and future sections.
    • 6.3: Factoring ax² + bx + c when a =1
      In this section we concentrate on learning how to factor trinomials having the form ax² + bx + c when a=1 . The first task is to make sure that everyone can properly identify the coefficients a, b, and c.
    • 6.4: Factoring ax² + bx + c when a≠1
      In this section we continue to factor trinomials of the form ax2+bx+c . In the last section, all of our examples had a=1 , and we were able to “Drop in place” our circled integer pair. However, in this section, a≠1 , and we’ll soon see that we will not be able to use the “Drop in place” technique. However, readers will be pleased to learn that the ac -method will still apply.
    • 6.5: Factoring Special Forms
      In this section we revisit two special product forms that we learned in Chapter 5, the first of which was squaring a binomial.
    • 6.6: Factoring Strategy
    • 6.7: Applications of Factoring
    • 6.E: Factoring (Exercises)


    This page titled 6: Factoring is shared under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by David Arnold via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.