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Using spreadsheets to divide algebraic expressions and find roots of polynomials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2016

A. A. Collyer  and
A. Pathan
A. A. Collyer
Affiliation:
Flat 2, 9 Elmhyrst Road, Weston-super-mare BS23 2SJ
A. Pathan
Affiliation:
45 Hutcliffe Wood Road, Sheffield S8 OEY
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Extract

In a recent paper on Horner’s Method [1], which includes a compact method for dividing expressions, we mentioned that some Computer Algebra Systems (CASs) such as DERIVE could be used to make the calculations, but that such programs, even when obtained through educational establishments, are overly expensive especially when most PCs have spreadsheets on them that could equally well do the calculations. Here we describe the use of an Excel spreadsheet to divide one expression by another, first by the method of detached coefficients and second by Horner’s Method of Synthetic Division (or simply synthetic division). A third example uses Horner’s Method to replace x by (x + c) to form a new expression [2], useful in the determination of the roots of a polynomial.

Type
Articles
Information
The Mathematical Gazette , Volume 87 , Issue 510 , November 2003 , pp. 477 - 484
Copyright
Copyright © The Mathematical Association 2003

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References

1. Pathan, A. and Collyer, A.A., The wonder of Homer’s method. Math. Gaz. 87 (July 2003) pp. 230–242.Google Scholar
2. Harris, J.W. and Stocker, H., Handbook of mathematics and computational science, Springer (1998) pp. 176–178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar