Factoring Polynomials

Learning Objectives:
At the end of the discussion,
students should be able to factor
any given polynomial

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 Factoring
• the process of finding the factors
whose product is the given polynomial
• basically the reverse of multiplication.
• write the polynomial as a product of
two or more prime polynomials.

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 Prime polynomial
A polynomial with integer
coefficients is said to be prime if
it has no polynomial factors with
integer coefficient other than
itself and l.
Examples: 3x y 2 x 2 + 9

2x – 1 4x2 + 2x + 1
3x + 4y 2x + 3y - 7
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 Greatest Common Factor
The greatest common factor (GCF) for
the group of integers is the greatest
integer that is a factor of each
integer in the group.

Example 1: Find the GCF of 24, 60 and 132.

Solution: First we have to find the prime factored
form of each integer and then take the product of
those prime numbers common in all the factorization
raised to the lowest power it appears in any
factorization.

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The complete factors of
24 = 233
60 = 2235 GCF=223=12
132 = 22311
Example 2: Find the GCF of the monomials
6x3 and 21x2.

The factors of
6x3 = 23x3 GCF=3x2=3x2
21x2 =37x2
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 How to factor polynomials?
Step 1:
Find the common monomial factor. The
common monomial factor is the GCF of
all the terms in the polynomial. We use
the distributive axiom to factor out
the common monomial factor.
Recall: ab + ac = a(b + c)
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Step 2:
Check whether all the factors are
prime.
Factors which are not yet prime
can be completely factored using
any of the other types of
factoring

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 Factor completely:
6a2bc – 9a2b2c – 15ab2

Solution: Is there any common factor?

6a2bc – 9a2b2c – 15ab2 Yes.

Factor out the common factor.
= 3ab ( 2ac – 3abc – 5b)

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 Factor completely:
14a2b3 + 77a2b2 – 7a2b
Solution: Is there any common factor? Yes.
Factor out the common factor.
14a2b3 + 77a2b2 – 7a2b
= 7a2b( 2b2 + 11b – 1 )

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 Factors of a Binomial
Difference of Two Squares:
x2 – y2 = (x + y) (x – y)
Factor completely:
49x2 – 9y2
= ( 7x ) 2 (3y )2
–
= (7x + 3y) (7x – 3y)
81x y – 121 =
2 2 ( 9xy ) 2– (
11 ) 2

= (9xy + 11) (9xy – 11)

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 Factor completely:
32x3y – 162xy3
Solution: Is there any common factor?

32x y – 162xy
3 3 Factor out 2xy.
Are all the factors prime?
= 2xy ( 16x2 – 81y2 )
Apply difference of two squares.
= 2xy [(4x)2 – (9y )2]
= 2xy (4x + 9y)(4x – 9y)

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 Factors of a Binomial
Difference of Two Cubes:
x3 – y3 = (x – y) (x2 + xy + y2)
Factor completely:
x – 27 =
3 ( x ) 3 – ( 3 )3

= ( x – 3 ) [( x )2 + ( x )( 3 ) + ( 3 )2]
= (x - 3) (x2 + 3x + 9)
27y3 – 64z3 = (3y )3 – (4z )3
= (3y – 4z) [(3y)2 + (3y)(4z) + (4z)2]
= (3y – 4z) (9y2 + 12yz + 16z2) Prepared by:
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 Factors of a Binomial
Sum of Two Cubes:
x3 + y3 = (x + y) (x2 – xy + y2)
Factor completely:
8y + 1 =
3 ( 2y ) 3+ ( 1 )3

= ( 2y + 1 ) [( 2y)2 - ( 2y)( 1 ) + ( 1 )2]

= (2y + 1) (4y2 – 2y + 1)
125x6y3 + 8 = ( 5x2y )3+ ( 2 )3
= (5x2y + 2) [(5x2y)2 - (5x2y)(2) + (2)2]
= (5x2y + 2) (25x4y2 – 10x2y + 4) Prepared
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 Factors of a Trinomial
Perfect Square Trinomial:
x2 + 2xy + y2 = (x + y)2
x2 – 2xy + y2 = (x – y)2
Factor completely:
25x2 – 20xy + 4y2 = (5x)2 – 2(5x)(2y) + (2y)2
= ( 5x – 2y ) 2

Take the base of the first term,

the sign of the middle term
and the base of the last term.
SQUARE the binomial. Prepared by:
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 Factor completely:
121x4y2 + 66x2y + 9
Solution:
121x4y2 + 66x2y + 9
= (11x2y)2 + 2(11x2y)( 3) + ( 3 )2
= ( 11x2y + 3)2
Take the base of the first term, the sign of the middle term
and the base of the last term. SQUARE the binomial.
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 Factors of a Trinomial
Quadratic Trinomial
px2 + qxy + ry2 = (ax +by)(cx + dy)
where p = ac q = ad + bc r = bd
Factor completely:
x2 + 7x + 10 = ( x + 2 ) (x + 5 )

x2 + 7x + 10 = (x + 2)(x + 5)

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 Factor completely:

6x2 - 13x + 5 = ( 3x - 5 ) ( 2x - 1 )

6x2 - 13x + 5 = (3x – 5)(2x – 1)

15x2 - 2x - 8 = ( 5x - 4 ) ( 3x + 2 )

15x2 - 2x - 8 = (5x – 4)(3x + 2)

 Factor completely:
x4 – 5x2 + 4
Solution:Factor the trinomial using the factors of quadratic trinomial
Apply difference of two squares.

x4 – 5x2 + 4 = (x2 – 4)(x2 – 1)

= (x + 2)(x – 2)(x + 1)(x – 1)

Another way to factor this polynomial is to use the

factors of ax4 + bx2y2 + cy4

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 Factor completely:
45x2y + 3xy – 84y
Solution:
45x2y + 3xy – 84y
Factor out the common factor.

= 3y (15x2 + x – 28)
Are all the factors prime?

= 3y (3x – 4)(5x + 7)
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 Factors of a polynomial with
more than 3 terms
Factoring by groupings:
Grouped the terms and factor each
group. Apply other types of
factoring to factor it completely.
ax + ay + bx + by = (ax + ay) + (bx + by)
= a(x+y) + b(x + y)
= (x + y)(a + b)
x2 +2xy+ y2 – z2 = (x2 + 2xy + y2) – z2
= (x + y)2 – z2
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 Factor completely:
9x2 – 3x + 3xy - y
Solution:
Since the polynomial has four terms, try factoring by
groupings.
9x2 – 3x + 3xy - y
= (9x 2 – 3x) + (3xy – y) Factor completely each
group.
= 3x (3x – 1) + y (3x – 1) Factor out the common
= (3x – 1)(3x + y) binomial factor.

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 Factor completely:
27x3 – 27x2 + 9x - 1
Solution: Group
Rearrange the terms of the polynomial.
the first two terms and the last two terms.
27x3 – 27x2 + 9x – 1 = 27x3 – 1 – 27x2 + 9x
= (27x3 – 1) - (27x2 – 9x)
= (3x – 1)(9x2 + 3x + 1) – 9x (3x – 1)
= (3x – 1) (9x2 + 3x + 1 – 9x)
=(3x – 1)(9x2 – 6x + 1)
= (3x – 1)(3x – 1)2
= (3x – 1)3
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 Factors of a polynomial with
more than 3 terms
Synthetic Division
Use the factors of the constants terms as r.
If the remainder is 0 then one of the factor
is x – r.
Factor the resulting quotient using other
types of factoring or continue using synthetic
division.

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 Factor completely:
2x3 + 3x2 – 18x - 27
Solution:
Factors of -27: -3, 9, 3, -9, -1, 27, 1, -27

-3 2 3 -18 -27 Since the remainder is 0, then x + 3

-6 9 27 is a factor of 2x3 + 3x2 – 18x – 27.

2 -3 -9 0

Hence, 2x3 + 3x2 – 18x – 27 = (x + 3)(2x2 – 3x – 9)

Factoring 2x2 – 3x – 9, we get the complete factors as

2x3 + 3x2 – 18x – 27 = (x + 3)(2x + 3)(x – 3)

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 Factor completely:
x3 + x2 – 17x +15
Solution:
Factors of 15: 3, 5, -3, -5, 1, 15, -1, -15

3 1 1 -17 15 Since the remainder is 0, then x - 3

12 -15 is a factor of x3 + x2 – 17x +15 .
3
1 4 -5 0

Hence, x3 + x2 – 17x +15 = (x - 3)(x2 + 4x – 5)

=(x – 3)(x + 5)(x – 1)
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 Factors of a polynomial with
more than 3 terms
Polynomial of the form:
x3 + 3x2y + 3xy2 + y3 = (x + y)3
x3 – 3x2y + 3xy2 – y3 = (x – y)3
Factor completely: 27x3 – 27x2 + 9x - 1
Solution:
27x3 – 27x2 + 9x – 1
= (3x)3 – 3(3x)2(1) + 3(3x)(1)2 – (1)3
= ( 3x – 1 )3 Prepared by:
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 Factors of a Binomial
Sum of Two Odd Primes:
xn + yn = (x + y) (xn-1 – xn-2y + xn-3y2 -+yn-1)

Factor completely:
(x) 5 + (3)5
x5 + 243 =
= (x + 3) [(x)5-1 – (x)5-2(3) + (x)5-3(3)2
– (x)5-4(3)3 + (x)5-5(3)4]
x5 + 243 = (x + 3) (x4 – 3x3 +9x2 – 27x +Prepared
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 Factors of a Binomial
Difference of Two Odd Primes:
xn – yn = (x – y)(xn-1 + xn-2y + xn-3y2 ++yn-1)

Factor completely:
(2y) 5 - (1)5
32y5 +1 =
= (2y – 1)(16y4 + 8y3 + 4y2 + 2y + 1)

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 Factors of a Trinomial
4th degree polynomial of the form
ax4 + bx2y2 + cy4:
Transform into a difference of two
squares by adding and subtracting
suitable terms

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 Factor completely:
x4 – 5x2 + 4
Solution: Check whether the polynomial is a perfect square trinomial.
x4 – 5x2 + 4 = [(x2)2 – 2(x2)(2) + (2)2] – x2
Notice that the first three terms forms a perfect trinomial

= (x2 – 2)2 – (x)2 a difference of two squares

= (x2 – 2 + x)(x2 – 2 – x) Factor the resulting
= (x2 + x – 2)(x2 – x – 2) polynomials.
= (x + 2)(x -1) (x – 2)(x + 1)

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 Factor completely:
x4 – 7x2 + 9
Solution: Check whether the polynomial is a perfect square trinomial.
x4 – 7x2 + 9 = [(x2)2 – 2(x2)(3) + (3)2] – x2
Notice that the first three terms forms a perfect trinomial

= (x2 – 3)2 – (x)2 a difference of two squares

= (x2 – 3 + x)(x2 – 3 – x)
= (x2 + x – 3)(x2 – x – 3)

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