Expert: Richard J. Raridon - 6/24/2008

Question
What is polynomial divison and can you give me a real life example? This all seems confusing. Also, how is dividing a polynomial by a binomial similar to or different from the long division you learned in elementary school? And if I  understanding how to do one kind of division does it help someone understanding the other kind?

Answer
Suppose you want to divide 2x^3+3x^2-11x-6 by x+3.  It's very similar to long division.  You look at x and at 2x^3 and you will see that the first term of the answer is 2x^2.  Multiply that by x+3 and you get 2x^2+6x^2.  Subtract that from the dividend to get
-3x^2-11x-6.  Look at x and -3x^2 to see that the second term in the answer is -3x.  Multiply that by x+3 to get -3x^2-9x.  Subtract that from -3x^2-11x-6 to get -2x-6 so the last term in the answer is -2 and your total answer is 2x^2-3x-2.