Factoring - The Lizzie Method

The "Lizzie Method" which is also known as the "fraction method" or "Vieta's Theorem" gives an easy-to-teach
and use method for factoring quadratics in the formax
2
+bx+c. This method has been taught previously, but was
independently rediscovered by a Michigan high school student in 2003. I like the name "The Lizzie Method" for
this technique because it helps students realize that the mathematical techniques that we use in our classes are
created by people and the informality helps emphasize that in this instance, it was someone like them who came
up with this technique on her own.
The big drawback to this method as opposed to factoring ax
2
+bx+c by grouping (also known as the ac method,
the split method and the British method) is that the procedure seems a bit arbitrary. At the Algebra I level, I think
that the arbitrariness is inescapable, but when this method is taught in an Algebra II class or above, the lesson can
incorporate a proof showing why this method works.

Prerequisites
Students should have a solid grounding in factoring quadratics in the form x
2
+bx+c by finding factors of c whose
sum or difference is b. This ability is essential to using this method.
It's also worth reviewing simplifying fractions, especially with students in a 2-year Algebra I sequence who might
not have spent significant time on this in well over a year.

The method
1. Our first step is to identify what sort of factors that we have, using a procedure similar to how we identify the
type of factors of x
2
+bx+c. If c is positive, then we have either the product of two sums (b is positive) or the
product of two differences (b is negative). If c is negative, then we have the product of a sum and a difference.
2. Next we take the product of the leading coefficient a and the final constant c and look for two factors that
either sum to b (when c is positive) or whose difference is b (when c is negative). Note that this is very much like
what we did with factors of c for factoring x
2
+bx+c.
For example, if we wish to factor 6x
2
-11x-10, we first note that c=-10 so we have the product of a sum and a
difference. Then we take the product 610=60 and find two factors of 60 whose difference is -11. In this case we
have have 415=60 and 4-15=-11.
3. Next we set up a pair of factors by with the constants being each of the two numbers that we found in the
previous step divided by our leading coefficient. So in our example we have: (x+4/6)(x-15/6)
4. We simplify the fractions that appear above. Now our example will look like: (x+2/3)(x-5/2)
5. If we're looking for the solutions of x
2
+bx+c=0, we can use these factors as they are. The solutions will be -2/3
and 5/2.
6. But we should still find the factored form so that we can confirm that our factorization is correct by multiplying
the two factors together. We need to get rid of any fractions that exist by multiplying each factor by the
denominator of the fraction. On paper, we can do this multiplication quickly by moving the denominator from the
bottom of the fraction to next to the x. Our factorization now looks like: (3x+2)(2x-5)

Points to ponder
Once we've completely simplified the two fractions (step 4), the product of the denominators will always be a.
When teaching this, it's a good idea to review multiplying polynomials and take a close look at the terms that we
get along the way to help make it clear where some of the numbers in this process come from.
I'd be curious to know when and why Vieta's theorem fell out of the US mathematics curriculum. Doing some
research, this is apparently standard issue in many (most?) European algebra texts.
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