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In mathematics, factorization (or factorisation, see English spelling differences) or factoring consists of writing a number or another mathematical object as a product of several factors, usually smaller or simpler objects of the same kind. For example, 3 × 5 is an integer factorization of 15, and (x – 2)(x + 2) is a polynomial ...
If two or more factors of a polynomial are identical, then the polynomial is a multiple of the square of this factor. The multiple factor is also a factor of the polynomial's derivative (with respect to any of the variables, if several). For univariate polynomials, multiple factors are equivalent to multiple roots (over a suitable extension field).
Given a quadratic polynomial of the form + + it is possible to factor out the coefficient a, and then complete the square for the resulting monic polynomial. Example: + + = [+ +] = [(+) +] = (+) + = (+) + This process of factoring out the coefficient a can further be simplified by only factorising it out of the first 2 terms.
In the case that b ≠ 0, there are two distinct roots, but if the polynomial is irreducible, they cannot be expressed in terms of square roots of numbers in the coefficient field. Instead, define the 2-root R(c) of c to be a root of the polynomial x 2 + x + c, an element of the splitting field of that polynomial.
The binomial approximation for the square root, + + /, can be applied for the following expression, + where and are real but .. The mathematical form for the binomial approximation can be recovered by factoring out the large term and recalling that a square root is the same as a power of one half.
The names for the degrees may be applied to the polynomial or to its terms. For example, the term 2x in x 2 + 2x + 1 is a linear term in a quadratic polynomial. The polynomial 0, which may be considered to have no terms at all, is called the zero polynomial. Unlike other constant polynomials, its degree is not zero.
In algebra, the factor theorem connects polynomial factors with polynomial roots. Specifically, if f ( x ) {\displaystyle f(x)} is a polynomial, then x − a {\displaystyle x-a} is a factor of f ( x ) {\displaystyle f(x)} if and only if f ( a ) = 0 {\displaystyle f(a)=0} (that is, a {\displaystyle a} is a root of the polynomial).
To factorize a small integer n using mental or pen-and-paper arithmetic, the simplest method is trial division: checking if the number is divisible by prime numbers 2, 3, 5, and so on, up to the square root of n. For larger numbers, especially when using a computer, various more sophisticated factorization algorithms are more efficient.