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Factoring Complex Trinomials Handout

This document discusses factoring complex trinomials. It explains that to factor a complex trinomial ax^2 + bx + c, you must determine two numbers p and q that have a sum of b and a product of ac. Examples are provided to demonstrate decomposing the middle term into two terms with coefficients p and q in order to factor the trinomial by grouping.

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Jon Mactavish
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190 views

Factoring Complex Trinomials Handout

This document discusses factoring complex trinomials. It explains that to factor a complex trinomial ax^2 + bx + c, you must determine two numbers p and q that have a sum of b and a product of ac. Examples are provided to demonstrate decomposing the middle term into two terms with coefficients p and q in order to factor the trinomial by grouping.

Uploaded by

Jon Mactavish
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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polynomials polynomials

Multiplying Binomials
MPM2D: Principles of Mathematics
Recap
Expand and simplify (2x + 5)(3x + 4).

Factoring Polynomials (2x + 5)(3x + 4) = 6x 2 + 8x + 15x + 20


Part 4: Factoring Complex Trinomials = 6x 2 + 23x + 20

J. Garvin The resulting expression is called a complex trinomial, since


the leading coefficient is not 1.

J. Garvin — Factoring Polynomials


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polynomials polynomials

Multiplying Binomials Multiplying Binomials


Now consider the expansion of the expression Like simple trinomials, the coefficient of the middle term, b,
(ex + f )(gx + h), where e, f , g and h are any integers. is the sum of two values, in this case eh and fg .
Note that ac = eg · fh = eh · fg (since the order of
(ex + f )(gx + h) = ex · gx + ex · h + f · gx + f · h
multiplication does not matter).
= egx 2 + ehx + fgx + fh
These are the two values that sum to b.
= egx 2 + (eh + fg )x + fh
Therefore, for any factorable trinomial ax 2 + bx + c, there
Since the standard form of a quadratic expression is are two values with a sum of b and a product of ac.
ax 2 + bx + c, the values of a, b and c are related to e, f , g In the case of a simple trinomial (a = 1), the product
and h as follows: ac = (1)c = c as before.
a = eg b = eh + fg c = fh

J. Garvin — Factoring Polynomials J. Garvin — Factoring Polynomials


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polynomials polynomials

Factoring Complex Trinomials Factoring Complex Trinomials


To work backward and factor a complex trinomial, we must Example
determine the two values, p and q, with a sum of b and a Factor 2x 2 + 13x + 15.
product of ac.
To make things work, we decompose the middle term into We must determine two numbers, p and q, that have a
separate two terms with coefficients p and q. product of 2 × 15 = 30 and a sum of 13.
This process is often referred to as decomposition. Since the product and sum are both positive, both p and q
will be positive.
The resulting expression will look like this:
Factors of 30 are 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 15 and 30.
ax 2 + px + qx + c
The two numbers that meet the requirements are 3 and 10.
Since ac, p and q all share the same factors, it will be
possible to use grouping to find common factors.
Some examples should make this clearer.

J. Garvin — Factoring Polynomials J. Garvin — Factoring Polynomials


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polynomials polynomials

Factoring Complex Trinomials Factoring Complex Trinomials


Decompose the middle term into two terms with p and q as Example
coefficients. Factor 6x 2 + 19x − 7.
2 2
2x + 13x + 15 = 2x + 3x + 10x + 15
We must determine two numbers, p and q, that have a
Factor by grouping. product of 6(−7) = −42 and a sum of 19.
Since the product is negative and the sum is positive, p will
2x 2 + 3x + 10x + 15 = x(2x + 3) + 5(2x + 3) be positive and |p| > |q|.
= (2x + 3)(x + 5) Factors of 42 are 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 14, 21 and 42.
Therefore, 2x 2 + 13x + 15 = (2x + 3)(x + 5). The two numbers that meet the requirements are 21 and −2.

J. Garvin — Factoring Polynomials J. Garvin — Factoring Polynomials


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polynomials polynomials

Factoring Complex Trinomials Factoring Complex Trinomials


Decompose the middle term into two terms with p and q as Example
coefficients. Factor 25x 2 − 20x + 4.
6x 2 + 19x − 7 = 6x 2 + 21x − 2x − 7
We must determine two numbers, p and q, that have a
Factor by grouping. product of 25 × 4 = 100 and a sum of −20.
Since the product is positive and the sum is negative, both p
6x 2 + 21x − 2x − 7 = 3x(2x + 7) − 1(2x + 7) and q will be negative.
= (2x + 7)(3x − 1) Factors of 100 are 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50 and 100.
Therefore, 6x 2 + 19x − 7 = (2x + 7)(3x − 1). In this case, the two numbers that meet the requirements
have the same value: −10 and −10.

J. Garvin — Factoring Polynomials J. Garvin — Factoring Polynomials


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polynomials polynomials

Factoring Complex Trinomials Questions?


Decompose the middle term into two terms with p and q as
coefficients.

25x 2 − 20x + 4 = 25x 2 − 10x − 10x + 4

Factor by grouping.

25x 2 − 10x − 10x + 4 = 5x(5x − 2) − 2(5x − 2)


= (5x − 2)(5x − 2)

Therefore, 25x 2 − 20x + 4 = (5x − 2)(5x − 2), or (5x − 2)2 .


While decomposition works for perfect squares like the one
above, we will look at a more efficient method in the next
lesson.

J. Garvin — Factoring Polynomials J. Garvin — Factoring Polynomials


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