Sullivan Algebra and Trigonometry: Section R.5 Factoring Objectives of this Section Factor the Difference of Two Squares Factor the Sum and Difference of Two Cubes Factor Second Degree Polynomials Factor By Grouping
The process of expressing a polynomial as a product of other polynomials is called factoring. Example Multiply: Factoring is the same process in reverse
Factor: Notice that each term in this trinomial has a greatest common factor of 3x.
Special Formulas When you factor a polynomial, first check whether you can use one of the special formulas shown in the previous section. Difference of Two Squares: Perfect Squares: Sum of Two Cubes: Difference of Two Cubes:
Example: Factor Completely:
Look for factors of 18 whose sum is 11.
Factors of , -1 5, -2 -5, 2 -10, 1 Sum
Factor By Grouping: