Toolkit 19

Factoring quadratic by grouping

x2+(a+b)x+ab=(x+a)(x+b)x^2+(a+b)x+ab=(x+a)(x+b)

Proof

Using the distributive law,

(x+a)(x+b)=x2+bx+ax+ab=x2+(a+b)x+ab.\begin{aligned} (x+a)(x+b) &= x^2+bx+ax+ab \\ &= x^2+(a+b)x+ab. \quad\square \end{aligned}