Math Is Fun Forum

mathxyz

Member

From: Brooklyn, NY

Registered: 2024-02-24

Posts: 1,053

Synthetic Division

I take back what I said about highlighted problems. There are problems for which I will be asking for hints or steps that are not highlighted by Sullivan. I will also select odd or even (whichever looks more interesting).

Problem 10; page 62.

Use synthetic division to find the quotient and remainder.

I pretty much know how to do synthetic division. I just want to show the following:

Given x^4 + x^2 + 2, divide by (x - 2).

I see that powers must be in descending order.

Correct?

So, I must use a place holder before calculation is done.

This means that the given dividend becomes x^4 + 0x^3 + x^2 + 0x + 2.

Yes?

I now do synthetic division.

Correct?

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,627

Re: Synthetic Division

That's the right dividend.  I've not heard of synthetic division but it looks like ordinary division but with short hand.

Good luck with it.

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

mathxyz

Member

From: Brooklyn, NY

Registered: 2024-02-24

Posts: 1,053

Re: Synthetic Division

That's the right dividend.  I've not heard of synthetic division but it looks like ordinary division but with short hand.

Good luck with it.

Bob

You can read about it in review section R.6 in the College Algebra textbook by Sullivan.