| a simplified procedure for dividing a polynomial by a linear polynomial. |

| synthetic division n. A method of dividing polynomials when the divisor is a polynomial of the first degree, by using only the coefficients of the terms. |
synthetic division
short method of dividing a polynomial of degree n of the form a0xn+a1xn 1+a2xn 2++an, in which a00, by another of the same form but of lesser degree (usually of the form xa). Based on the remainder theorem, it is sometimes called the method of detached coefficients.
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