Introduction to Topic 5.3 - Factoring Polynomials

Polynomial functions are used to model real-life situations, such as the models we used for finding the net farm income in Topic 1. Or, you may want to paint a mural within a prescribed area of space and need to know the dimensions of the mural.

To find these real-life roots, or solutions, we will need to look at different factoring techniques. Factoring is an algebraic method we use to find the zeros of a polynomial function.

Essential question: What factoring method works best to find the roots of a given polynomial function?