Multiplying Polynomials

A polynomial looks like this:

example of a polynomial
this one has 3 terms
To multiply two polynomials:

multiply each term in one polynomial by each term in the other polynomial

add those answers together, and simplify if needed

Let us look at the simplest cases first.

1 term 1 term (monomial times monomial)

To multiply one term by another term, first multiply the constants, then multiply each variable
together and combine the result, like this (press play):
There were two formats for adding and subtracting polynomials: "horizontal" and "vertical". You can use
those same two formats for multiplying polynomials. The very simplest case for polynomial multiplication
is the product of two one-term polynomials. For instance:

Simplify (5x2)(2x3)
I've already done this type of multiplication when I was first learning about exponents, negative
numbers, and variables. I'll just apply the rules I already know:

(5x2)(2x3) = 10x5
The next step up in complexity is a one-term polynomial times a multi-term polynomial. For example:

Simplify 3x(4x2

x + 10)

To do this, I have to distribute the

3x through the parentheses:

3x(4x2 x + 10)
= 3x(4x2) 3x(x) 3x(10)
= 12x3 + 3x2 30x

The next step up is a two-term polynomial times a two-term polynomial. This is the simplest of the "multiterm times multi-term" cases. There are actually three ways to do this. Since this is one of the most
common polynomial multiplications that you will be doing, I'll spend a fair amount of time on this.

Simplify (x

+ 3)(x + 2)

The first way I can do this is "horizontally"; in this case, however, I'll have to distribute twice,
taking each of the terms in the first parentheses "through" each of the terms in the second
parentheses: Copyright Elizabeth Stapel 2000-2011 All Rights Reserved

(x + 3)(x + 2)
= (x + 3)(x) + (x + 3)(2)
= x(x) + 3(x) + x(2) + 3(2)
= x2 + 3x + 2x + 6
= x2 + 5x + 6
This is probably the most difficult and error-prone
way to do this multiplication. The "vertical" method
is much simpler. First, think back to when you
were first learning about multiplication. When you
did small numbers, it was simplest to work
horizontally, as I did in the first two polynomial
examples above:

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3 4 = 12
But when you got to larger numbers, you stacked
the numbers vertically and, working from right to
left, took one digit at a time from the lower number
and multiplied it, right to left, across the top
number. For each digit in the lower number, you
formed a row underneath, stepping the rows off to
the left as you worked from digit to digit in the
lower number. Then you added down.
For instance, you would probably not want to try to multiply
do it vertically:

121 by 32 horizontally, but it's easy when you

You can multiply polynomials in this same manner, so here's the same exercise as above, but done
"vertically" this time:

Simplify (x

+ 3)(x + 2)

I need to be sure to do my work very neatly.

I'll set up the multiplication:

...and then I'll multiply:

I get the same answer as before:

x2 + 5x + 6

There is also a special method, useful ONLY for a two-term polynomial times another two-term
polynomial. The method is called "FOIL". The letters F-O-I-L come from the words "first", "outer", "inner",
"last", and are a memory device for helping you remember how to multiply horizontally, without having to
write out the distribution like I did, and without dropping any terms. Here is what FOIL stands for:

That is, FOIL tells you to multiply the first terms in each of the parentheses, then multiply the two terms
that are on the "outside" (furthest from each other), then the two terms that are on the "inside" (closest to
each other), and then the last terms in each of the parentheses. In other words, using the previous
example:

Use FOIL to simplify (x

+ 3)(x + 2)

"first": (x)(x) = x2
"outer": (x)(2) = 2x
"inner": (3)(x) = 3x
"last": (3)(2) = 6
So:

Copyright Elizabeth Stapel 2000-2011 All Rights Reserved

(x + 3)(x + 2) = x2 + 2x + 3x + 6 = x2 + 5x + 6
Many instructors in later math classes come to hate "FOIL" because it serves mostly to confuse students
when they reach more advanced topics. FOIL tends to be taught as "the" way to multiply all polynomials,
which is clearly not true. (As soon as either one of
the polynomials has more than a "first" and "last"
term in its parentheses, you're hosed if you try to
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use FOIL, because those terms won't "fit".) When
multiplying larger polynomials, just about
everybody switches to vertical multiplication,
because it's just so much easier to use.
If you want to use FOIL, that's fine, but (warning!)
keep its restriction in mind: you can ONLY use it
for the special case of multiplying two binomials.
You can NOT use it at ANY other time!

Simplify (x

4)(x 3)

So the answer is: x2

7x + 12

Using FOIL would give:

"first": (x)(x) = x2
"outer": (x)(3) = 3x
"inner": (4)(x) = 4x
"last": (4)(3) = +12
product: (x2)

Simplify (x

+ (3x) + (4x) + (+12) = x2 7x + 12

3y)(x + y)

So the answer is: x2

Using FOIL would give:

2xy 3y2

"first": (x)(x) = x2
"outer": (x)(y) = xy
"inner": (3y)(x) = 3xy
"last": (3y)(y) = 3y2
product: (x2)

+ (xy) + (3xy) + (3y2) = x2 2xy 3y2

Let me reiterate what I said at the beginning: "FOIL" works ONLY for the specific and special case of a
two-term expression times another two-term expression. It does NOT apply in ANY other case.
You should not rely on FOIL for general multiplication, and should not expect it to "work" for every
multiplication, or even for most multiplications. If you only learn FOIL, you will not have learned all you
need to know, and this will cause you problems later on down the road.
I have seen too many students greatly hampered in their studies by an unthinking over-reliance on FOIL.
Their instructors often never even taught them any method for multiplying other sorts of polynomials. For
your own sake, take the time to read the next page and learn how to multiply polynomials properly.
Sometimes you will have to multiply one multi-term polynomial by another multi-term polynomial. You can
do this horizontally if you want, but there is so much room for error that I usually switch over to vertical
multiplication once the polynomials get big. For bigger multiplications, vertical is usually faster, and is
much more likely to give you a correct answer.

Simplify (4x2

4x 7)(x + 3)

Here's what it looks like when done horizontally:

(4x2 4x 7)(x + 3)
= (4x2 4x 7)(x) + (4x2 4x 7)(3)
= 4x2(x) 4x(x) 7(x) + 4x2(3) 4x(3) 7(3)
= 4x3 4x2 7x + 12x2 12x 21
= 4x3 4x2 + 12x2 7x 12x 21
= 4x3 + 8x2 19x 21
Painful, no? Now I'll do it vertically:

Much nicer! But, either way, the answer is:

Simplify (x

+ 2)(x3 + 3x2 + 4x 17)

4x3 + 8x2 19x 21

I'm just going to do this one vertically. Note that, since order doesn't matter for multiplication, you
can still put the "x + 2" polynomial on the bottom for vertical multiplication, just as you always put
the smaller number on the bottom when you were doing regular vertical multiplication with just
plain numbers.

So the answer is: x4

Simplify (3x2

+ 5x3 + 10x2 9x 34

9x + 5)(2x2 + 4x 7)

I'll take my time, and do my work neatly:

So the answer is:

Simplify (x3

Copyright Elizabeth Stapel 2000-2011 All Rights Reserved

6x4 6x3 47x2 + 83x 35

+ 2x2 + 4)(2x3 + x + 1)

Notice that these polynomials have "gaps" in their terms. The first polynomial has an x3 term, an
x2 term, and a constant term, but no x term; and the second polynomial has an x3 term, an x
term, and a constant term, but no x2 term. When I do the vertical multiplication, I will need to
leave spaces in my set-up, corresponding to the "gaps" in the degrees of the polynomials' terms,
because I will almost certainly need the space.
(This is similar to using zeroes as "place holders" in regular numbers. You might have a thousands digit of
3, a hundreds digit of 2, and a units digit of 5, so you'd put a 0 in for the tens digits, creating the number
3,205.)
Here's what I mean:

See how I needed the gaps? See how it helped that I had everything lined up according to the
degree? If I hadn't left gaps, my terms could easily have become misaligned. Warning: Take the
care to write things neatly, and you'll save yourself from many needless difficulties.
The answer is:

2x6 + 4x5 + x4 + 11x3 + 2x2 + 4x + 4