Thread: dividing polynomials

I have a question where I have to divide:

x^4-2x^3-3x^2+11x+3 by x^2-4

So doing by long division I have got as far as:




Sorry about it being hard to read I didn;t know how to do it by typing it.

Anyway in all the example I have of doing this the power of the second term (-2x^3 and 4x^2) has been the same but in this one it is not. Have I made a mistake or am right so far?

If I am right so far how do I take it forward?

Originally Posted by JQ2009

I have a question where I have to divide:

x^4-2x^3-3x^2+11x+3 by x^2-4

So doing by long division I have got as far as:




...

Code:

                                                 3x+7
  (x^4-2x^3-3x^2+11x+3) ÷ (x^2-4) = x^2-2x+1 + ----------
 -(x^4     -4x^2)                                x^2-4
 -------------------
      -2x^3 +x^2+11x 
    -(-2x^2     +8x)
      -----------------
             x^2+3x+3
           -(x^2   -4)
           -------------
                 3x+7