Polynomials: Synthetic Division Explanation and Practice

Synthetic Division is a quick method of dividing polynomials; it can be used

when the divisor is of the form x c. In synthetic division we write only the
essential part of the long division table. Compare these long division and
synthetic division tables, in which we divide 2x
3
7x
2
+ 5 by x 3.
Long Division Synthetic Division
2x
2
x 3
3 2
3 2
2
2
3 2 7 0 5
2 6
0
3
3 5
3 9
4
x x x x
x x
x x
x x
x
x
+ +

+
+
+
+

Note that in synthetic division we abbreviate 2x

3
7x
2
+ 5 by writing only the
coefficients: !" # $, and instead of x ! %, we simply write %. &'riting %
instead of !% allows us to add instead of subtract, but this changes the sign of all
the numbers that appear in the circles.(
)ere is how you complete the synthetic division.
*tart by writing the divisor and dividend in abbreviated form:
3 2 7 0 5
+ring down the , multiply % , - .; write the result in the middle row.
/hen add: " 0 . - 1
3 2 7 0 5
6
2 1

2epeat this process of multiplying and then adding until the table is complete.
3 2 7 0 5
6 3 9
2 1 3 4
-1- Polynomials: Synthetic Diision!"#$lanation % P&actice
10'17'2014
remainder
3 2 7 0 5
6 3 9
2 1 3 4

remainder quotient
EXAMPLE 1
3ivide using synthetic division: 3x
3
x
2
+ 2x + 5 by x 3.
Solution
4ll polynomials are in descending powers.
3 3 1 2 5
3 3 1 2 5
9
3
3 3 1 2 5
9
3 (
+3 3 1 2 5
9 24
3 (
+3 3 1 2 5
9 24
3 ( 26
+3 3 1 2 5

+
+

9 24 7(
3 ( 26
+3 3 1 2 5
9 24 7(
3 ( 26 (3

*o:
3
5 2 3
2 3

+ +
x
x x x
)
3
(3
26 ( 3
2

+ + +
x
x x
Notice that the process is a series of multiplications and additions, indicated in
the following diagram by the arrows.
3 3 1 2 5
9 24 7(
3 ( 26 (3
+

-2- Polynomials: Synthetic Diision!"#$lanation % P&actice
10'17'2014
'rite 0% as a divisor. /hen write the coefficients of %x
%
! x

0 x 0 $, placing 0% to the
left.

+ring down the leading coefficient to the bottom row. 5ultiply: % , % - 6. 'rite this
product in the ne7t column in the second row.
4dd the values in the second column: 81 0 6 - 9. 'rite this result in the bottom row.
5ultiply % by the value in the bottom row: % , 9 - :. 'rite this product in the ne7t
column in the second row.
4dd the values in the third column: 0 : - .. 'rite this result in the bottom row.
5ultiply % by the value in the bottom row: % , . - "9. 'rite this product in the last
column in the second row.
4dd the values in the final column: $ 0 "9 - 9%.
'rite the quotient from the last row, using the final value as the
remainder. /he degree of the first term of the quotient is always
one degree less than the degree of the first term of the
dividend.
EXAMPLE
;ind the quotient using synthetic division:
4
1 2
2 4
+
+ +
x
x x
Solution
+ecause we divide by x c* we need to rewrite this problem as
+ 4 ,
1 0 2 0
2 3 4

+ + + +
x
x x x x
'e see that c ) 4 and proceed. Notice that the missing x
3
and x terms in the
dividend are accounted for with <eroes.
4 1 0 2 0 1
4 16 72 2((
1 4 1( 72 2(9

/hus*
4
2(9
72 1( 4
4
1 2
2 3
2 4
+
+ + =
+
+ +
x
x x x
x
x x
EXAMPLE !
;ind the quotient using synthetic division: ,x
3
+ 5x
2
3x 15+ - ,x + 5+
Solution
=ur divisor is x + 5* so in synthetic division we use $ for c.
5 1 5 3 15
5 0 15
1 0 3 0

No x term in the quotient>
/hus, ,x
3
+ 5x
2
3x 15+ - ,x + 5+ )
x
2
+ 0x 3 )
x
2
3
-3- Polynomials: Synthetic Diision!"#$lanation % P&actice
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No remainder in the quotient>
Practice
;ind the quotient using synthetic division.
1" ,x
2
3x 1(+ - ,x 6+
3. ,2x
2
+ 5x + 3+ - ,x + 1+
5. ,2a
3
15a
2
+ 22a 24+ - ,a 6+
7. ,3a
3
9a
2
+ 5a 15+ - ,a 3+
9. ,3x
3
4x + 5+ - ,x + 2+
2. ,y
2
+ 5y 14+ - ,y + 7+
4. ,b
2
7b (+ - ,b 4+
6. ,a
2
+ 3a + 10+ - ,a + 5+
8. ,2x
3
+ 11x
2
26x 3(+ - ,x + 7+
10. ,2x
3
+ 5x
2
+ 13+ - ,x 3+
-4- Polynomials: Synthetic Diision!"#$lanation % P&actice
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Ans#er $ey
Polynomials: Synthetic Division Explanation and Practice
1. x + 3
Sol.tion
6 1 3 1(
6 1(
1 3 0

3. 2x + 3
Sol.tion
1 2 5 3
2 3
2 3 0

5. 2a
2
3a + 4
Sol.tion
6 2 15 22 24
12 1( 24
2 3 4 0

7. 3a
2
+ 5
Sol.tion
3 3 9 15 15
9 0 15
3 0 5 0

9. 3x
2
6x + ( +
11
2 x

+
Sol.tion
2 3 0 4 5
6 12 16
3 6 ( 11



2. y 2
Sol.tion
7 1 5 14
7 14
1 2 0

4. x 3 +
20
4 b

Sol.tion
4 1 7 (
4 12
1 3 20

6. a 2 +
20
5 a +
Sol.tion
5 1 3 10
5 10
1 2 0

8. 2x
2
3x 5 +
3
7 x

+
Sol.tion
7 2 11 26 3(
14 21 35
2 3 5 3

10. 2x
2
x 3 +
4
3 x

Sol.tion
3 2 5 0 13
6 3 9
2 1 3 4

-5- Polynomials: Synthetic Diision!"#$lanation % P&actice
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