Glossary (Version 8.4)

Numbers or algebraic expressions are factors (or divisors) of another number if they multiply to give that number. For example, 3 and 4 are factors of 12 as 3×4=12. This can be written algebraically as

\(x\) and \(y\) are factors of \(m\), if \(m=xy\)

For polynomial expressions the same rule applies. For example, \(x-4\) and \(x-2\) are factors of the quadratic expression \(x^2-6x+8\) because \((x-4)(x-2)=x^2-6x+8\).