Remainder

Definition

The remainder is the part of a dividend that is left over after dividing the dividend by the divisor. It represents the amount that is not evenly divisible when performing division operations.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The remainder is always a value less than the divisor and has the same unit as the dividend.
2. When dividing polynomials, the remainder represents the part of the dividend that cannot be expressed as a multiple of the divisor.
3. The remainder theorem states that if a polynomial $P(x)$ is divided by $(x - a)$, then the remainder is $P(a)$.
4. The factor theorem states that if the remainder of dividing a polynomial $P(x)$ by $(x - a)$ is 0, then $(x - a)$ is a factor of $P(x)$.
5. The Euclidean algorithm uses the concept of the remainder to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of two integers.

Review Questions

• Explain the relationship between the remainder, dividend, and divisor in a division operation.
  • The remainder is the part of the dividend that is left over after the division operation. It represents the amount that is not evenly divisible by the divisor. The remainder is always a value less than the divisor and has the same unit as the dividend. The relationship between the remainder, dividend, and divisor can be expressed as: dividend = divisor × quotient + remainder.
• Describe the role of the remainder in the context of dividing polynomials.
  • When dividing polynomials, the remainder represents the part of the dividend that cannot be expressed as a multiple of the divisor. The remainder theorem states that if a polynomial $P(x)$ is divided by $(x - a)$, then the remainder is $P(a)$. Additionally, the factor theorem states that if the remainder of dividing a polynomial $P(x)$ by $(x - a)$ is 0, then $(x - a)$ is a factor of $P(x)$. These properties of the remainder are crucial in understanding polynomial division and factorization.
• Explain how the concept of the remainder is used in the Euclidean algorithm to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of two integers.
  • The Euclidean algorithm uses the concept of the remainder to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of two integers. The algorithm works by repeatedly dividing the larger number by the smaller number and then replacing the larger number with the remainder until the remainder is 0. The last non-zero remainder is the GCD of the two original numbers. This process relies on the fact that the GCD of two numbers is the same as the GCD of the smaller number and the remainder of the larger number divided by the smaller number.

Related terms

Dividend: The number being divided in a division operation.

Divisor: The number by which the dividend is being divided.

Quotient: The result of dividing the dividend by the divisor.