Factoring Techniques

Techniques for Factoring Polynomials
"To factor" means "to write as an indicated product." The following is a list of the techniques for factoring
polynomials that you are expected to know when you begin a college credit math course such as MATH
1314 College Algebra. Each technique is accompanied by an example that illustrates the technique.
First, factor out the greatest common factor (GCF) from all of the terms.
2
Example: Factor 15x 35x .
Solution: Both terms contain factors of 5 and x, and have no other factors in common. Therefore the GCF is
2
5x. So 15x 35x = 5x 3x 5x 7 = 5x(3x7).
The other factoring techniques depend on how many terms there are.
If there are two terms, use the Difference of Two Squares pattern.
Difference of Two Squares Pattern: a 2 b2 = (a + b)(a b)
Example: Factor 25x 2 49y 2 .
Solution: This binomial is the difference of two squares. The first term is the square of 5x and the second
term is the square of 7y. So 25x 2 49y 2 = (5x)2 (7y)2 = (5x +7y)(5x 7y).
Note: The sum of two squares cannot be factored using real numbers.
2 2
Example: 81v + 16z is the sum of two squares and cannot be factored using real numbers.
If there are three terms in which the first and third terms are squares of numbers or
expressions, it may be a perfect square trinomial.
There are two Perfect Square Trinomial Patterns:
Square of a Sum Pattern: a 2 + 2ab + b2 = (a + b)2
Square of a Difference Pattern : a 2 2ab + b2 = (a b)2
Notice that in the first of these patterns, the middle term of the trinomial is plus twice the product of the
quantities being squared in the first and third terms while in the second of these patterns, the middle term of
the trinomial is minus twice the product of the quantities being squared in the first and third terms. It is this
distinction that determines whether the perfect square trinomial factors into the square of a sum or into the
square of a difference.
Example: Factor 9x 2 + 30xy + 25y 2 .
Solution: Notice that the first term of this trinomial is the square of 3x and that the third term is the square of
5y. Furthermore, the middle term is plus twice the product of 3x and 5y. That is +2(3x)(5y) = +30xy. So
using the square of a sum pattern we get
9x 2 + 30xy + 25y 2 = (3x)2 + 2(3x)(5y) + (5y)2 = (3x + 5y)2 .
2 2
Example: Factor 4t 36tw + 81w .
Solution: Notice that the first term of this trinomial is the square of 2t and that the third term is the square of

9w. Furthermore, the middle term is minus twice the product of 2t and 9w. That is 2(2t)(9w) = 36tw. So
using the square of a difference pattern we get
2 2
4t 36tw + 81w = (2t) 2 2(2t)(9w) + (9w) 2 (2t 9w) 2 .
(Thomason Fall 2015)

If there are three terms but it's not a perfect square trinomial, use one of the following
methods depending on whether the first coefficient is 1 or not.
2
To factor ax + bx + c , when a=1, find two numbers, call them m and n, whose product is c and whose
sum is b. Then
x 2 + bx + c = (x + m)(x + n) .
2
Example: Factor x 2x 15 .
Solution: This is a trinomial with a first coefficient of 1, so we need to find factors of 15 that add up to 2.
Those factors are 5 and 3. (If you aren't particularly good with doing arithmetic in your head, you may
want to write down a list of the different ways of factoring 15 as the product of two numbers.) Then
x 2 2x 15 = (x 5)(x + 3) .
2
To factor ax + bx + c , when a1, we can use a procedure that is frequently called the ac Method (also
called the Master Product Method). This method consists of four steps:
Step 1: Determine the product of the first coefficient, a, and the constant term, c. This product, a c , is
called the Master Product.
Step 2: Find two numbers whose product is the Master Product and whose sum is the middle coefficient, b.
Step 3: Use the two number determined in Step 2 to write the middle term of the original trinomial as two
terms.
Step 4: Then there will be four terms which can be factored by grouping.
2
Example: Factor 6x 23x + 20 .
Solution: This is a trinomial with a first coefficient that is not 1, so we can use the
ac Method.
Step 1: ac = (6)(20), which is 120.
Step 2: Now we must find two numbers whose product is 120 and whose sum is 23. Those numbers are
15 and 8. (Even if you are pretty good with doing arithmetic in your head, you will probably need to write
down a list of the different ways of factoring 120 in order to determine the pair of factors that adds up to
23.)
Step 3: We use 15 and 8 to write the middle term of the given trinomial as two terms:
2 2
6x 23x + 20 = 6x 15x 8x + 20
Step 4: Now that we have four terms we can factor by grouping:
2
6x 15x 8x + 20 = 3x(2x 5) 4(2x 5) = (2x 5)(3x 4) .
If there are four terms, factor by grouping (The Grouping Method).

3 2
Example: Factor 4x 7x 20x + 35 .
Solution: There is no factor in common to all four terms. However, the first two terms have a common
2
factor of x and the last two terms have a common factor of 5. So we group the first two terms together
and group the last two terms together.
3 2
4x 7x 20x + 35 = (4 x 3 7x 2 ) (20x 35) = x 2 (4 x 7) 5(4 x 7)
Now the two resulting terms have a common factor of (4x 7) so we can factor it out and get
3 2
4x 7x 20x + 35 = x 2 (4 x 7) 5(4 x 7) = (4 x 7)(x 2 5) .

(Thomason Spring 2015) p. 2 of 3

Warning: To factor a polynomial completely, we frequently have to apply more than one technique.
After factoring by any method, always take a close look at each of your factors to see if any of them
can factored.
Example: Factor 6x 5 + 28x 4 16x 3 .

Solution: As always, we first factor out the greatest common factor, which in this case is 2x 3. (Note:
When the highest power terms coefficient is negative, it is best to include the negative in the common
factor.)So we have
6x 5 + 28x 4 16x 3 = 2x 3 (3x 2 14 x + 8)
But we aren't finished. Its possible the trinomial in parentheses, 3x 2 14 x + 8 , can be factored using the ac
Method.
Step 1: ac = (3)(8), which is 24.

Step 2: Now we try to find two numbers whose product is 24 and whose sum is 14. Those numbers are 12

and 2.
Step 3: We use 12 and 2 to write the middle term of the trinomial as two terms:
3x 2 14 x + 8 = 3x 2 12x 2x + 8
Step 4: Now that we have four terms we can factor by grouping:
3x 2 12x 2x + 8 = 3x(x 4) 2(x 4) = (x 4)(3x 2) .
So 3x 214 x + 8 = (x 4)(3x 2) .
Then back to our original problem, we have
6x 5 + 28x4
16x 3 = 2x 3 (3x 2 14 3
x + 8) = 2x (x 4)(3x 2) .

Example: Factor 6x 3 5x 2 54 x + 45 .
Solution: 6x 3 5x 2 54 x + 45 = x 2 (6x 2 5) 9(6x 2 5)
= (6x 5)(x 2 9) factoring by grouping
= (6x 5)((x 3)(x + 3) using the difference of two squares pattern
None
of the factors in the last result is factorable so we are finished.

6 2
Example: Factor 2b 162b .
6 2
Solution: 2b 162b = 2b2 (b 4 81) by factoring out the GCF
= 2b2 (b 2 + 9)(b2 9) by using the difference of two squares pattern
= 2b2 (b 2 + 9)(b + 3)(b 3) by using the difference of two squares pattern again
None of the factors in the last result is factorable so we are finished.
Example: Factor 3x 3 30x 2 y + 48xy2 .

Solution: The GCF for this trinomial is 3x. So we get 3x 3 30x 2 y + 48xy2 = 3x(x 2 10xy + 16y 2 ) .
Now we must see if the trinomial we obtained can be factored. Its first term is the square of x and its third
term is the square of 4y so it looks like we might have a perfect square trinomial. However, to be a perfect
square trinomial the middle term has to be plus or minus twice the product of the quantities being squared in
the first and third terms, which would be 2(x)(4y), or 8xy, neither of which is the 10xy in our trinomial.
Our trinomial does have a leading coefficient of 1, so we try that factoring method. We need factors of 16
that add up to 10. Those factors are 2 and 8 so we get
3x 3 30x 2 y + 48xy2 = 3x(x 2 10xy + 16y 2 ) = 3x(x 2y)( x 8y) .
(Thomason Spring 2015) p. 3 of 3

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Techniques for Factoring Polynomials

(Thomason Fall 2015)

If there are four terms, factor by grouping (The Grouping Method).

Example: Factor 6x 5 + 28x 4 16x 3 .

Example: Factor 3x 3 30x 2 y + 48xy2 .

(Thomason Spring 2015) p. 3 of 3

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