Some of the Special Names of the Polynomials of the first few degrees:

Polynomials

Degree 0 1 2 3 4 5

Name Constant Linear Quadratic Cubic Quartic Quintic

Example
f ( x) = 5 f ( x) = 3x + 2

f ( x) = x 2 4 f ( x) = x 3 + 2 x 3 f ( x) = 3 x 4 + x
f ( x) = x5 + x 3 x + 1

A polynomial with one term is called a monomial. Example:

Find the zeros of the function:

f ( x) = x

g ( x) = ( x 2 16)( x 2 + 25)

Answers:

x = 4, 5i

A polynomial with two terms is called a binomial. Example:

f ( x) = x + 1
Find a quartic function with zeros 3 and 4 and f (2) = 60

A polynomial with three terms is called a trinomial. Example:

f ( x) = x 2 + x + 1

Answer:

f ( x) = 1( x 3)( x + 3)( x 4)( x + 4)

Find a cubic function with zeros 2 + i and 1.

If 4 + i is a root of the polynomial equation below, find the other roots.

f ( z ) = z 3 6 z 2 + z + 34
Answer:

f ( x) = x3 5 x 2 + 9 x 5

Answer:

4 i, 2

Find a quartic function with zeros

i and

3.

If the polynomial function below is divisible by z 3 i, find the other roots.

Answer:

f ( z ) = z 3 + 5 z 2 56 z + 110

f ( x) = x 4 2 x 2 3

Answer:

3 i, 11

If 2i is a zero of the function h( x ) = value of a.

x 4 + x 2 + a find the

Use synthetic division to divide:

x3 + 5 x 2 + 5 x 2
Answer:

by

x+2

Answer:

a = -12

x 2 + 3 x 1 Remainder: 0

Find the equation of a cubic function with x-intercepts at 1, 2 and 3 and a y-intercept at -6.
Answer:

Use synthetic division to divide:

x3 + x 2 10 x + 8
Answer:

by

x +1

x 2 10 Remainder: 18

f ( x) = x3 6 x 2 + 11x 6

The Remainder Theorem:

When a polynomial P(x) is divided by x a, the remainder is P(a).

The polynomial below has a remainder of 4 when divided by (x + 1). Calculate the value of k.

g ( x) = x10 + x 2 + x + k
Answer: k = 3

Example: Find the remainder when the function below is divided by x 1.

f ( x) = 2 x 20 4 x10 + 1
Answer: Remainder is -1

The polynomial below has a remainder of 8 when divided by (x - 1). Calculate the value of a.

h( x) = x 4 + ax + 3
Answer: a = 4

The Factor Theorem

For a polynomial P(x), x a is a factor if and only if P(a) = 0.

Example: Below is a polynomial equation and one of its roots, find the remaining roots.

2 x 3 + 5 x 2 23x + 10 = 0 with a root of x = 2

Answer: Remaining roots are:

x = 1 , 5 2

Example: Below is a polynomial equation and one of its roots, find the remaining roots.

6 x 3 + 11x 2 4 x 4 = 0 with a root of x = 2

Answer: Remaining roots are:

x=1, 2

Example: Below is a polynomial equation and one of its roots, find the remaining roots.

2 3

4 x 4 4 x 3 25 x 2 + x + 6 = 0 with roots of x = 2 and x = 3

Answer: Remaining roots are:

x=1 2

The polynomial below has a factor of (x 1) and a remainder of 8 when divided by (x +1). Calculate the values of a and b.

Solve the following polynomials:

f ( x) = x 3 2 x 2 + ax + b
Answer: a = -5, b = 6

x3 1 = 0
x3 = 8

Answer:

x = 1,

1+ i 3 2

, 12i

Answer:

The polynomial x 4 x + 3 is a factor of the polynomial below. Calculate the value of a.

2

x = 2, 1 + i 3, 1 i 3

g ( x) = x 3 + ( a 4) x 2 + (3 4a ) x + 3
Answer: a = 1

x 3 + 30 = 3

Answer:

x = 3,

3+ 3i 3 2

, 332i

Solve the following polynomials:

Rational Root Theorem

Answer:

x4 + 4 = 5x2
x x 4x + 4 = 0
6 4 2

x = 1, 1, 2, 2

Let P (x) be a polynomial of degree n with integral coefficients and a non-zero constant term:

P ( x) = an x n + an1 x n1 + ... + a2 x 2 + a1 x + a0 , where a0 0

Answer:

If one of the roots of the equation P(x) = 0 is x = q where p and q are non-zero integers with no common factor other than 1,
p

x = 1, 1, 2, 2, i 2, i 2

Then p must be a factor of

a0 , and q must be a factor of an

x 5 9 x 3 + 8 x 2 = 72
Answer:

x = 3, 3, 2, 1 + i 3, 1 i 3

Given:

3 x 4 + 13x3 + 15 x 2 4 = 0
x = 2, 2,
1+ 13 6

Find all of the roots using the rational zero test.

, 16 13

Given:

2 x3 + 5 x 2 + 6 x + 2 = 0
x = 1 , 1 + i, 1 i 2

Find all of the roots using the rational zero test.