Algebra Examples

$x^{3} - 3 x - 2$

Set $x^{3} - 3 x - 2$ equal to $0$ .

$x^{3} - 3 x - 2 = 0$

Solve for $x$ .

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Factor the left side of the equation.

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Factor $x^{3} - 3 x - 2$ using the rational roots test.

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If a polynomial function has integer coefficients, then every rational zero will have the form $\frac{p}{q}$ where $p$ is a factor of the constant and $q$ is a factor of the leading coefficient.

$p = \pm 1, \pm 2 q = \pm 1$

Find every combination of $\pm \frac{p}{q}$ . These are the possible roots of the polynomial function.

$\pm 1, \pm 2$

Substitute $- 1$ and simplify the expression. In this case, the expression is equal to $0$ so $- 1$ is a root of the polynomial.

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Substitute $- 1$ into the polynomial.

${(- 1)}^{3} - 3 \cdot - 1 - 2$

Raise $- 1$ to the power of $3$ .

$- 1 - 3 \cdot - 1 - 2$

Multiply $- 3$ by $- 1$ .

$- 1 + 3 - 2$

Add $- 1$ and $3$ .

$2 - 2$

Subtract $2$ from $2$ .

$0$

Since $- 1$ is a known root, divide the polynomial by $x + 1$ to find the quotient polynomial. This polynomial can then be used to find the remaining roots.

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

Divide $x^{3} - 3 x - 2$ by $x + 1$ .

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

$x$

$1$

$x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$3 x$

$2$

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

					$x^{2}$
	$x$	+	$1$		$x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$3 x$	-	$2$

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

				$x^{2}$
$x$	+	$1$		$x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$3 x$	-	$2$
			+	$x^{3}$	+	$x^{2}$

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

				$x^{2}$
$x$	+	$1$		$x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$3 x$	-	$2$
			-	$x^{3}$	-	$x^{2}$

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

				$x^{2}$
$x$	+	$1$		$x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$3 x$	-	$2$
			-	$x^{3}$	-	$x^{2}$
					-	$x^{2}$

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

				$x^{2}$
$x$	+	$1$		$x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$3 x$	-	$2$
			-	$x^{3}$	-	$x^{2}$
					-	$x^{2}$	-	$3 x$

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

				$x^{2}$	-	$x$
$x$	+	$1$		$x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$3 x$	-	$2$
			-	$x^{3}$	-	$x^{2}$
					-	$x^{2}$	-	$3 x$

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

				$x^{2}$	-	$x$
$x$	+	$1$		$x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$3 x$	-	$2$
			-	$x^{3}$	-	$x^{2}$
					-	$x^{2}$	-	$3 x$
					-	$x^{2}$	-	$x$

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

				$x^{2}$	-	$x$
$x$	+	$1$		$x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$3 x$	-	$2$
			-	$x^{3}$	-	$x^{2}$
					-	$x^{2}$	-	$3 x$
					+	$x^{2}$	+	$x$

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

				$x^{2}$	-	$x$
$x$	+	$1$		$x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$3 x$	-	$2$
			-	$x^{3}$	-	$x^{2}$
					-	$x^{2}$	-	$3 x$
					+	$x^{2}$	+	$x$
							-	$2 x$

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

				$x^{2}$	-	$x$
$x$	+	$1$		$x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$3 x$	-	$2$
			-	$x^{3}$	-	$x^{2}$
					-	$x^{2}$	-	$3 x$
					+	$x^{2}$	+	$x$
							-	$2 x$	-	$2$

Divide the highest order term in the dividend $- 2 x$ by the highest order term in divisor $x$ .

				$x^{2}$	-	$x$	-	$2$
$x$	+	$1$		$x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$3 x$	-	$2$
			-	$x^{3}$	-	$x^{2}$
					-	$x^{2}$	-	$3 x$
					+	$x^{2}$	+	$x$
							-	$2 x$	-	$2$

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

				$x^{2}$	-	$x$	-	$2$
$x$	+	$1$		$x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$3 x$	-	$2$
			-	$x^{3}$	-	$x^{2}$
					-	$x^{2}$	-	$3 x$
					+	$x^{2}$	+	$x$
							-	$2 x$	-	$2$
							-	$2 x$	-	$2$

The expression needs to be subtracted from the dividend, so change all the signs in $- 2 x - 2$

				$x^{2}$	-	$x$	-	$2$
$x$	+	$1$		$x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$3 x$	-	$2$
			-	$x^{3}$	-	$x^{2}$
					-	$x^{2}$	-	$3 x$
					+	$x^{2}$	+	$x$
							-	$2 x$	-	$2$
							+	$2 x$	+	$2$

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

				$x^{2}$	-	$x$	-	$2$
$x$	+	$1$		$x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$3 x$	-	$2$
			-	$x^{3}$	-	$x^{2}$
					-	$x^{2}$	-	$3 x$
					+	$x^{2}$	+	$x$
							-	$2 x$	-	$2$
							+	$2 x$	+	$2$
										$0$

Since the remander is $0$ , the final answer is the quotient.

$x^{2} - x - 2$

Write $x^{3} - 3 x - 2$ as a set of factors.

$(x + 1) (x^{2} - x - 2) = 0$

Factor $x^{2} - x - 2$ using the AC method.

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Factor $x^{2} - x - 2$ using the AC method.

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Consider the form $x^{2} + b x + c$ . Find a pair of integers whose product is $c$ and whose sum is $b$ . In this case, whose product is $- 2$ and whose sum is $- 1$ .

$- 2, 1$

Write the factored form using these integers.

$(x + 1) ((x - 2) (x + 1)) = 0$

Remove unnecessary parentheses.

$(x + 1) (x - 2) (x + 1) = 0$

If any individual factor on the left side of the equation is equal to $0$ , the entire expression will be equal to $0$ .

$x + 1 = 0$

$x - 2 = 0$

$x + 1 = 0$

Set $x + 1$ equal to $0$ and solve for $x$ .

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Set $x + 1$ equal to $0$ .

$x + 1 = 0$

Subtract $1$ from both sides of the equation.

$x = - 1$

Set $x - 2$ equal to $0$ and solve for $x$ .

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Set $x - 2$ equal to $0$ .

$x - 2 = 0$

Add $2$ to both sides of the equation.

$x = 2$

The final solution is all the values that make $(x + 1) (x - 2) (x + 1) = 0$ true. The multiplicity of a root is the number of times the root appears.

$x = - 1$ (Multiplicity of $2$ )

$x = 2$ (Multiplicity of $1$ )

$x = - 1$ (Multiplicity of $2$ )

$x = 2$ (Multiplicity of $1$ )