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Factoring with Pascals Triangle

We already talked about Pascals triangle right before winter break. Just to review, see if you can fill in the missing numbers:

1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1

Now, you may be asking yourself what on earth this has to do with polynomials. Well, weve been talking about polynomials of higher order than 2. We have no way to factor these higher order polynomials and thats sad because factoring is how we can tell where the roots are, and roots are really what we care about when were looking at polynomials. There are certain polynomials that can be factored by using the above triangle. Exercise 1: Try multiplying out the following polynomials. It may get messy, but you can do it. Make sure to arrange your answers so that the powers on the x decrease as you go from left to right. (a) (b)

(c)

(d)

(e) Look at your answers from above and compare them to Pascals triangle. What similarities do you notice?

Exercise 2: Lets look at how we can use these similarities. (a) Write out what would be when multiplied out without actually FOILing it. Be careful about the powers of x and the powers of b.

(b) Write out what

would be when multiplied out without actually FOILing it. Be careful

about the powers of x and the powers of b.

(c) Write out what substitute 1 for b)

would be when multiplied out without actually FOILing it. (Just

(d) Write out what

would be when multiplied out without actually FOILing it.

Exercise 3: Now that you have a sense of how to use Pascals triangle to help us multiply out polynomials, lets look at what happens when there are more complex binomials in the parentheses. Use FOIL to multiply out the following. (a) (b) (e) (f)

(c)

(g)

(d)

(h)

(i) Can we still use Pascals triangle to help us multiply out these polynomials if theres a minus or if theres a number in front of the x? Explain.

Exercise 4: Use the patterns that you noticed in the last exercise and Pascals triangle to expand the polynomial without multiplying them out. (a) (d)

(b)

(e)

(c)

(f)

Exercise 5: Lets see if we can use these patterns to help us factor polynomials. you which row of Pascals triangle to reference. (a) (c)

That power tells

(b)

(d)

Exercise 6: Not all polynomials can be factored using Pascals triangle. (a) For one thing, how many roots do all the polynomials in this worksheet have? (b) Is it true that all polynomials have only the number of roots you answered in part (a)? (c) What clues can you look for in a polynomial that will tell you it can be factored using Pascals triangle?