![]() ![]() Splitting the middle term – a method for factoring quadratic equations. Although c is a constant, it is sometimes referred to as a coefficient in this context. In the standard form of a quadratic equation a x 2 + b x + c = 0, a, b and c are coefficients. The numbers or expressions we are multiplying are called the "factors" of that product.Ĭoefficient – a number used to multiply a variable. When multiplying two numbers or expressions, we get a product. In such cases, we need to use another method, such as the quadratic formula, to solve them.įactor – a number or expression that divides another number or expression evenly, with no remainder. It is important to note that not all quadratic equations can be factored. To distinguish between the roots, write the x as: ![]() ![]() Solving these two linear equations will give us the roots for the quadratic equation: So we can set each of the factors to zero and solve for the variable: When the product of two factors equals zero, one or both equals zero. Or, in other words, finding the roots of the quadratic equation. The equation's factored form allows us to find the variable values that would make the equation true. Since both sides are equal (they are the same equation written in a different format), that means that the factored form equation also equals zero: The standard form of a quadratic equation is a x 2 + b x + c = 0, in which a, b and c represent the coefficients and x represents an unknown variable.įactoring quadratics is a method of rewriting a quadratic equation in its factored form (a form of its linear factors): Just as with rational numbers, rational functions are usually expressed in "lowest terms." For a given numerator and denominator pair, this involves finding their greatest common divisor polynomial and removing it from both the numerator and denominator.Factoring (or factorizing) is one of the ways to solve quadratic equations, like the quadratic formula and completing the square. Like polynomials, rational functions play a very important role in mathematics and the sciences. Rational functions are quotients of polynomials. In such cases, the polynomial will not factor into linear polynomials. Polynomials with rational coefficients always have as many roots, in the complex plane, as their degree however, these roots are often not rational numbers. In such cases, the polynomial is said to "factor over the rationals." Factoring is a useful way to find rational roots (which correspond to linear factors) and simple roots involving square roots of integers (which correspond to quadratic factors).
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