Concept

Factoring a Negative Greatest Common Factor

When factoring a polynomial, the first step is to look for a greatest common factor (GCF). If the leading coefficient of the polynomial is negative, the extracted GCF should also be negative. Factoring out a negative term reverses the signs of all the remaining terms inside the parentheses. This step is crucial because it leaves a simpler polynomial with a positive leading coefficient, which is generally much easier to factor using standard methods like trial and error.

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Updated 2026-05-25

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Ch.6 Factoring - Intermediate Algebra @ OpenStax

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