Indentifying Prime Polynomials

A detailed tutorial on how to identify prime polynomials. Step by step tutorial including several examples of identifying prime polynomials for reference.

Prime polynomials are any polynomial that cannot be factored. Just like a number is prime if you can not break it down into two seperate whole numbers to multiply, a polynomial is prime if you cannot break it down into two separate binomials with whole numbers to multiply. When you run into a prime polynomial when trying to solve a quadratic equation, you cannot use the factoring method. what the factoring method does is split the polynomials into a binomial, which cannot be done to a prime polynomial. If you have a prime polynomial, you have to use the quadratic formula to solve it. At first, you can spot prime polynomials by attempting to factor it, but eventually you will be able to do it just by looking at it.

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