Precalculus Examples

$\frac{x^{4} - 2 x^{3} + 3 x^{2} - 4 x + 6}{x^{2} + 2 x - 1}$

Step 1

Set up the polynomials to be divided. If there is not a term for every exponent, insert one with a value of $0$ .

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

Step 2

Divide the highest order term in the dividend $x^{4}$ by the highest order term in divisor $x^{2}$ .

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

Step 3

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

Step 4

The expression needs to be subtracted from the dividend, so change all the signs in $x^{4} + 2 x^{3} - x^{2}$

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

Step 5

After changing the signs, add the last dividend from the multiplied polynomial to find the new dividend.

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

Step 6

Pull the next terms from the original dividend down into the current dividend.

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$4 x$

Step 7

Divide the highest order term in the dividend $- 4 x^{3}$ by the highest order term in divisor $x^{2}$ .

$x^{2}$

$4 x$

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$4 x$

Step 8

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

$x^{2}$

$4 x$

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$4 x^{3}$

$8 x^{2}$

$4 x$

Step 9

The expression needs to be subtracted from the dividend, so change all the signs in $- 4 x^{3} - 8 x^{2} + 4 x$

$x^{2}$

$4 x$

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$4 x^{3}$

$8 x^{2}$

$4 x$

Step 10

After changing the signs, add the last dividend from the multiplied polynomial to find the new dividend.

$x^{2}$

$4 x$

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$4 x^{3}$

$8 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$12 x^{2}$

$8 x$

Step 11

Pull the next terms from the original dividend down into the current dividend.

$x^{2}$

$4 x$

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$4 x^{3}$

$8 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$12 x^{2}$

$8 x$

$6$

Step 12

Divide the highest order term in the dividend $12 x^{2}$ by the highest order term in divisor $x^{2}$ .

$x^{2}$

$4 x$

$12$

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$4 x^{3}$

$8 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$12 x^{2}$

$8 x$

$6$

Step 13

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

$x^{2}$

$4 x$

$12$

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$4 x^{3}$

$8 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$12 x^{2}$

$8 x$

$6$

$12 x^{2}$

$24 x$

$12$

Step 14

The expression needs to be subtracted from the dividend, so change all the signs in $12 x^{2} + 24 x - 12$

$x^{2}$

$4 x$

$12$

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$4 x^{3}$

$8 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$12 x^{2}$

$8 x$

$6$

$12 x^{2}$

$24 x$

$12$

Step 15

After changing the signs, add the last dividend from the multiplied polynomial to find the new dividend.

$x^{2}$

$4 x$

$12$

$x^{2}$

$2 x$

$1$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$3 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$6$

$x^{4}$

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$4 x^{3}$

$8 x^{2}$

$4 x$

$12 x^{2}$

$8 x$

$6$

$12 x^{2}$

$24 x$

$12$

$32 x$

$18$

Step 16

The final answer is the quotient plus the remainder over the divisor.

$x^{2} - 4 x + 12 + \frac{- 32 x + 18}{x^{2} + 2 x - 1}$