Like a dove of peace ready to alight on panicked hearts, an uncommon option for factoring polynomials traditionally not taught much arrived on the seen just in time for students facing daunting math problems on their upcoming exams.
According to Virtualnerd.com, “Polynomials are those expressions that have variables raised to all sorts of powers and multiplied by all types of numbers.” The purpose of factoring a polynomial is to ultimately discover the value of the variables in the equation.
Entitled ‘The British Method’ for factoring polynomials, one student likened it to how the British historically managed other difficult problems: directly, simply, and with guaranteed successful outcomes when the methodology is used properly. The technique is a simple 1-2-3-4 step process, and to the relief of some students there is no ‘guess and test’ involved.
Here’s how it works:
Take a polynomial in the standard form of
Multiply the ‘a’ value with the ‘c’ value.
Then, find two factors for the product of ‘a’ times ‘c’ that when those two factors are ADDED together result in whatever the value of the coefficient b is in the polynomial.
Next, rewrite the polynomial. But this time, instead of writing the ‘b’ value, replace it with your two addends so that you would get
After you have successfully arrived at four terms, regroup the first two terms with the last two terms.
Factor out the common variables and values in each.
The outside terms will be recombined with each other to make a simple new polynomial which will be multiplied with what is already left inside parenthesis.
If required, solve the polynomial for x by setting both values to zero. This will result in the solution set if the polynomial is solvabable!
Students have found that the British method is far simpler than the ‘guess and test’ method generally taught in most classrooms. And while there is nothing wrong with the traditional method of factoring, simpler methods for understanding complex subject matter is generally the way to go! Like a magic bullet that targets the right answer every time, many students have found this not so well known method easier to use than shooting in the dark. Hopefully, as the knowledge of British factoring becomes more widespread, student math grades will go up, frustrations will plummet, and world peace will become a reality.
World peace?
Well, the British may have to come up with another method to discover the answer for that!
