How do you divide #(-7x^3-5x^2-2x-4)/(x-4) #?

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Answer 1 · 2016-01-01T23:41:26

Long divide the coefficients to find:

#(-7x^3-5x^2-2x-4)/(x-4) = -7x^2-33x-134 - 540/(x-4)#

The quotient is #-7x^2-33x-134# with remainder #-540#

I like to long divide the coefficients like this:

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The process is similar to long division of numbers.

In this particular example we find:

#(-7x^3-5x^2-2x-4)/(x-4) = -7x^2-33x-134 - 540/(x-4)#

That is #(-7x^3-5x^2-2x-4)/(x-4)# is #-7x^2-33x-134# with remainder #-540#.

Or if you prefer:

#-7x^3-5x^2-2x-4 = (-7x^2-33x-134)(x-4)-540#