A couple of years ago, I learned an easy way to factor polynomials. It is much easier than other methods such as trial and error. It is called the Nine Celled Square Method. I have looked everywhere on the internet, and I cannot find it. Luckily, I found an old handout from my former algebra teacher. I have copied the information into a word document which I have included with this message. I hope this helps a lot of students looking for the same information I was!

Jeff Schmidt
jbschmidt@mail.com

1. Write the 1^st term in cell 1.



2. Write the 3^rd term in cell 2.



3. Write in cell 3 the product of the numbers in cells 1 and 2.



4. In cells 6 and 9, write new terms whose product equals the number in cell 3 but whose sum equals the 2^nd term of the trinomial.



5. In cells 4 and 7, write new terms whose product equals the number in cell 1. Number in cell 4 must be divisible into the number in cell 6, and the number in cell 7 must be divisible into the number in cell 9.



6. In cell 5, write the quotient of the numbers in cells 6 and 4.



7. In cell 8, write the quotient of the numbers in cells 9 and 7.



8. Your answer will be the product of the two sums: the sum of cells 4 and 8, and the sum of cells 5 and 7.