- #1
LearninDaMath
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Homework Statement
[itex]\frac{x^3+x^2-5x+3}{x^3-3x+2}[/itex]
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
well I'm drawing that long division house with x^3-3x+2 on the outside and x^3+x^2-5x+3 on the inside.
I'm seeing that x^3 goes into x^3 one time, so i put a 1 on top of the "house." then I multiply the 1 by x^3-3x+2 and put the product underneath x^3+x^2-5x+3 . However, I can't subtract or add the numbers because the exponents of the x variables don't line. I'm having a problem with the fact that x^3-3x+2 skips the x^2 exponent. I never did a long division problem where the outstide number skipped an exponent. Should I just make a space like x^3+0-3x+2 and let the x^2 from x^3+x^2-5x+3 drop down - kind of like what i would do if the number under the house x^3+x^2-5x+3 skipped a variable?