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Remainder Theorem

The Remainder Theorem states that if a polynomial function f(x)f(x) is divided by a binomial of the form xβˆ’cx - c, then the remainder of that division is exactly equal to the value of the function evaluated at cc, which is f(c)f(c). This theorem can be logically derived by expressing the division in function notation: to get the dividend f(x)f(x), multiply the quotient q(x)q(x) by the divisor xβˆ’cx - c, and add the remainder rr. This gives the equation f(x)=q(x)(xβˆ’c)+rf(x) = q(x)(x - c) + r. If this equation is evaluated at cc, it yields f(c)=q(c)(cβˆ’c)+rf(c) = q(c)(c - c) + r, which simplifies to f(c)=q(c)(0)+rf(c) = q(c)(0) + r, leaving f(c)=rf(c) = r.

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Updated 2026-04-29

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Ch.5 Polynomials and Polynomial Functions - Intermediate Algebra @ OpenStax

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