ABSTRACT
In algebra, some effort goes into understanding how to multiply two polynomials, and much more effort goes into learning to factor (i.e, undo multiplying) polynomials. This chapter provides ways to solve polynomial equations. It illustrates an example concerning the famous Quadratic Formula, which tells how to solve any polynomial equation. As long as the coefficients of our polynomials come from an integral domain (i.e., a ring which possesses no zero divisors) or more especially a field, polynomials behave very much like the integers. For example, there are polynomial versions of the Euclidean Algorithm and the Division Algorithm, and, like the integers, polynomials have unique factorization. The chapter also includes exercises related to the concept of polynomials.
