Question 925047
{{{"P(x)"=x^5+x^4-x^3+9}}}
<pre>
Write that as

{{{"P(x)"=1x^5+1x^4-1x^3+0x^2+0x+9}}}

0.5 | 1  1   -1      0      0        9
    |<u>    0.5  0.75  -0.125 -0.0625  -0.03125</u>
      1  1.5 -0.25  -0.125 -0.0625   8.96875

P(0.5) = 8.96875, or if you use fractions

{{{matrix(4,8,

1/2,"|",1,1,-1,0,0,9,
"", "|","", 1/2, 3/4, -1/8,-1/16, -1/32,
"","","---","---","---","---","---","---",

"","",1,3/2,-1/4,-1/8,-1/16,287/32)}}}

That's the correct answer.  As a decimal it's
P(0.5) = 8.96875.  As a fraction it's {{{P(1/2)}}}{{{""=""}}}{{{287/32}}} or {{{8&31/32}}} 

Edwin</pre>