Divide using long division x4 - 8x3 + 2x2 + 24x + 9 by x2 - 2x - 1 Start with this: -------------------------- x² - 2x - 1)x4 - 8x³ + 2x² + 24x + 9 x² goes into x4 x² times, so write that above over the x² term x² -------------------------- x² - 2x - 1)x4 - 8x³ + 2x² + 24x + 9 Now multiply the x² by each of the terms at the far left, and write the three terms that you get under the first three terms, and draw a line under them: x² -------------------------- x² - 2x - 1)x4 - 8x³ + 2x² + 24x + 9 x4 - 2x³ - x² -------------- Now we subtract vertically by mentally changing the sign of the bottom number and adding: x² -------------------------- x² - 2x - 1)x4 - 8x³ + 2x² + 24x + 9 x4 - 2x³ - x² -------------- -6x³ + 3x² Bring down the next term: x² -------------------------- x² - 2x - 1)x4 - 8x³ + 2x² + 24x + 9 x4 - 2x³ - x² -------------- -6x³ + 3x² + 24x Now x² goes into -6x³ -6x times, so we write -6x³ ar the top: x² - 6x -------------------------- x² - 2x - 1)x4 - 8x³ + 2x² + 24x + 9 x4 - 2x³ - x² -------------- -6x³ + 3x² + 24x Now multiply the -6x by each of the terms at the far left, and write the three terms that you get under the three terms at the bottom, and draw a line under them: x² - 6x -------------------------- x² - 2x - 1)x4 - 8x³ + 2x² + 24x + 9 x4 - 2x³ - x² -------------- -6x³ + 3x² + 24x -6x² + 12x² + 6x ----------------- -9x² + 18x Bring down the last term: x² - 6x - 9 -------------------------- x² - 2x - 1)x4 - 8x³ + 2x² + 24x + 9 x4 - 2x³ - x² -------------- -6x³ + 3x² + 24x -6x² + 12x² + 6x ----------------- -9x² + 18x + 9 x² goes into -9x² -9 times, so write -9 on the end at the top: x² - 6x - 9 -------------------------- x² - 2x - 1)x4 - 8x³ + 2x² + 24x + 9 x4 - 2x³ - x² -------------- -6x³ + 3x² + 24x -6x² + 12x² + 6x ----------------- -9x² + 18x + 9 Multiply the -9 be each term at the left as write them at the bottom: x² - 6x - 9 -------------------------- x² - 2x - 1)x4 - 8x³ + 2x² + 24x + 9 x4 - 2x³ - x² -------------- -6x³ + 3x² + 24x -6x² + 12x² + 6x ----------------- -9x² + 18x + 9 -9x² + 18x + 9 -------------- Then when you subtract you get 0 remainder, so the answer is x² - 6x - 9 Edwin