Precalculus Examples

$\frac{2 x^{5} + 4 x^{4} - 4 x^{3} - x - 3}{x^{2} - 2}$

Step 1

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

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$2$

$2 x^{5}$

$4 x^{4}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

Step 2

Divide the highest order term in the dividend $2 x^{5}$ by the highest order term in divisor $x^{2}$ .

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$2$

$2 x^{5}$

$4 x^{4}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

Step 3

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$2$

$2 x^{5}$

$4 x^{4}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

$2 x^{5}$

$0$

$4 x^{3}$

Step 4

The expression needs to be subtracted from the dividend, so change all the signs in $2 x^{5} + 0 - 4 x^{3}$

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$2$

$2 x^{5}$

$4 x^{4}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

$2 x^{5}$

$0$

$4 x^{3}$

Step 5

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

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$2$

$2 x^{5}$

$4 x^{4}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

$2 x^{5}$

$0$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

Step 6

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

$2 x^{3}$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$2$

$2 x^{5}$

$4 x^{4}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

$2 x^{5}$

$0$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

Step 7

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

$2 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$2$

$2 x^{5}$

$4 x^{4}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

$2 x^{5}$

$0$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

Step 8

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

$2 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$2$

$2 x^{5}$

$4 x^{4}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

$2 x^{5}$

$0$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

$8 x^{2}$

Step 9

The expression needs to be subtracted from the dividend, so change all the signs in $4 x^{4} + 0 - 8 x^{2}$

$2 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$2$

$2 x^{5}$

$4 x^{4}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

$2 x^{5}$

$0$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

$8 x^{2}$

Step 10

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

$2 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$2$

$2 x^{5}$

$4 x^{4}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

$2 x^{5}$

$0$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

$8 x^{2}$

Step 11

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

$2 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$2$

$2 x^{5}$

$4 x^{4}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

$2 x^{5}$

$0$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

$8 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

Step 12

Divide the highest order term in the dividend $8 x^{2}$ by the highest order term in divisor $x^{2}$ .

$2 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$0 x$

$8$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$2$

$2 x^{5}$

$4 x^{4}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

$2 x^{5}$

$0$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

$8 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

Step 13

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

$2 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$0 x$

$8$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$2$

$2 x^{5}$

$4 x^{4}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

$2 x^{5}$

$0$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

$0 x^{2}$

$x$

$4 x^{4}$

$0$

$8 x^{2}$

$x$

$3$

$8 x^{2}$

$0$

$16$

Step 14

The expression needs to be subtracted from the dividend, so change all the signs in $8 x^{2} + 0 - 16$

						$2 x^{3}$	+	$4 x^{2}$	+	$0 x$	+	$8$
$x^{2}$	+	$0 x$	-	$2$		$2 x^{5}$	+	$4 x^{4}$	-	$4 x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$x$	-	$3$
					-	$2 x^{5}$	-	$0$	+	$4 x^{3}$
							+	$4 x^{4}$	+	$0$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$x$
							-	$4 x^{4}$	-	$0$	+	$8 x^{2}$
											+	$8 x^{2}$	-	$x$	-	$3$
											-	$8 x^{2}$	-	$0$	+	$16$

Step 15

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

						$2 x^{3}$	+	$4 x^{2}$	+	$0 x$	+	$8$
$x^{2}$	+	$0 x$	-	$2$		$2 x^{5}$	+	$4 x^{4}$	-	$4 x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$x$	-	$3$
					-	$2 x^{5}$	-	$0$	+	$4 x^{3}$
							+	$4 x^{4}$	+	$0$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$x$
							-	$4 x^{4}$	-	$0$	+	$8 x^{2}$
											+	$8 x^{2}$	-	$x$	-	$3$
											-	$8 x^{2}$	-	$0$	+	$16$
													-	$x$	+	$13$

Step 16

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

$2 x^{3} + 4 x^{2} + 8 + \frac{- x + 13}{x^{2} - 2}$