# Remainder of polynomial division when divisor is square without calculus

The problem is given as follows:

Let $$p(x) = x^{2004} - x^{1901} - 50$$. What is the remainder of the division of $$p(x)$$ by $$(x-1)^2$$.

The solution is straightforward when using the derivative of $$p(x)$$. However, considering that I stumbled upon this problem in a high school textbook, I'm assuming that an elegant solution exists without the use of calculus?

Let $$x^{2004}-x^{1901}-50=q(x)(x-1)^2+ax+b.$$ Translating by $$-1$$, we have \begin{align*} q(x+1)x^2+ax+(a+b)&=(x+1)^{2004}-(x+1)^{1901}-50\\&=\sum_{j=0}^{2004}\binom{2004}jx^j-\sum_{j=0}^{1901}\binom{1901}jx^j-50 \\&= \text{(higher order terms})+103x-50. \end{align*} This gives $$a=103$$ and $$b=-153$$.

Write: $$x^{2004} - x^{1901} - 50 = (x-1)^2k(x)+ax+b$$

Setting $$x=1$$ we get $$-50 = a+b\implies b=-50-a$$

so $$x^{2004} - x^{1901} - 50 = (x-1)^2k(x)+ax-a-50$$

so $$x^{1901}(x^{103}-1) = (x-1)^2k(x)+a(x-1)$$

so $$x^{1901}(x^{102}+ x^{101}+...+x+1)= (x-1)k(x)+a$$

and finally putting $$x=1$$ again we get $$103 =a\implies r(x)=103x-153$$

$$x\!=\!1\,\Rightarrow\, p = -50 + (x\!-\!1)\color{#c00}g.\$$ $$\, g = \dfrac{p+50}{x-1}=x^{1901}\,\dfrac{x^{103}\!-\!1}{x\!-\!1} = x^{1901}(x^{102}+\cdots+x+1)\,$$

so $$\,x\!=\!1\,\Rightarrow\,\color{#c00}g = 103+(x\!-\!1)h\$$ thus $$\ p = -50+103(x\!-\!1)+(x\!-\!1)^2h$$

• We twice applied the Remainder Theorem $\,f(x) = f(1) = (x-1)g(x)\,$ for some polynomial $\,g(x)\$ See also the Double Root Test in algebraic form. – Bill Dubuque Mar 14 at 15:38