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Factoring Trinomials of the Form x2+bx+cx^2 + bx + c

To factor a trinomial of the form x2+bx+cx^2 + bx + c, we need to find two numbers mm and nn such that mn=cm \cdot n = c and m+n=bm + n = b. Then we write the factored form as (x+m)(x+n)(x + m)(x + n).

This works because factoring is the reverse of FOIL multiplication: (x+m)(x+n)=x2+nx+mx+mn=x2+(m+n)x+mn(x + m)(x + n) = x^2 + nx + mx + mn = x^2 + (m + n)x + mn.

The strategy is:

  1. Write two sets of parentheses with xx as the first term of each binomial: (x  )(x  )(x\ \ )(x\ \ ).
  2. Find two numbers mm and nn whose product is cc and whose sum is bb.
  3. Use mm and nn as the last terms of the two binomials: (x+m)(x+n)(x + m)(x + n).

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Updated 2026-04-30

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