Not to mention divide: 2x^2 + 5x - 3 ------------- x + 2 2x + 1 ______________ x + 2 | 2x^2 + 5x - 3 2x^2 +

Not to mention divide: 2x^2 + 5x - 3 ------------- x + 2 2x + 1 ______________ x + 2 | 2x^2 + 5x - 3 2x^2 + 4x ------------- x - 3 x + 2 ----- - 5 The remainder is -5, which gives us a -5/(x + 2) term: Thus 5 = 2x + 1 - ----- x + 2 How about something we know divides: x + 1 _______________ x + 1 | x^2 + 2x + 1 x^2 + x -------- x + 1 x + 1 ----- 0