How do you divide: 5a^2+6a-95a2+6a9 into 25a^425a4?

1 Answer
Jun 5, 2015

Use synthetic division. The process is somewhat like long division.

First choose a multiplier of 5a^2+6a-95a2+6a9 which will match the most significant part of 25a^425a4.

That first multiplier is color(red)(5a^2)5a2.

5a^2 (5a^2+6a-9) = 25a^4+30a^3-45a^25a2(5a2+6a9)=25a4+30a345a2

Subtract this from the original polynomial to get a remainder...

25a^4 - (25a^4+30a^3-45a^2) = -30a^3+45a^225a4(25a4+30a345a2)=30a3+45a2

Next choose a second multiplier to match the leading term of this remainder...

The second multiplier is color(red)(-6a)6a

-6a(5a^2+6a-9) = -30a^3+36a^2+54a6a(5a2+6a9)=30a3+36a2+54a

Subtract this from the remainder to get a new remainder...

(-30a^3+45a^2) - (-30a^3+36a^2+54a)(30a3+45a2)(30a3+36a2+54a)

=9a^2-54a=9a254a

Next choose a third multiplier to match the leading term of this remainder...

The third multiplier is color(red)(9/5)95

9/5(5a^2+6a-9) = 9a^2+54/5a-81/595(5a2+6a9)=9a2+545a815

Subtract this from the previous remainder to get a new remainder...

(9a^2-54a) - (9a^2+54/5a-81/5)(9a254a)(9a2+545a815)

=-(54+54/5)a+81/5=(54+545)a+815

=-(270+54)/5a+81/5=270+545a+815

=(81-324a)/5=81324a5

=81/5(1-4a)=815(14a)

Adding all the multipliers we found together, we have:

(25a^4) / (5a^2+6a-9)25a45a2+6a9

= (5a^2-6a+9/5)+81/5*(1-4a)/(5a^2+6a-9)=(5a26a+95)+81514a5a2+6a9

I think this is where you are expected to stop.

Like long division, you could carry on to find terms in a^(-1)a1, a^(-2)a2, etc., like the decimal places of a long division of numbers, but the result would probably not be very useful from an algebra perspective.