proof of factor theorem due to Fermat
Lemma (cf. factor theorem). If the polynomial
vanishes at , then it is divisible by the difference , i.e. there is valid the identic equation
(1) |
where is a polynomial of degree , beginning with the .
The lemma is here proved by using only the properties of the multiplication and addition, not the division.
Proof. If we denote , we may write the given polynomial in the form
It’s clear that every is a polynomial of degree with respect to , where has the coefficient 1 and the is . This implies that may be written as a polynomial of degree with respect to , where has the coefficient and the on is equal to , i.e. . So we have
where are certain coefficients. If we return to the indeterminate by substituting in the last identic equation for , we get
When the powers are expanded to polynomials, we see that the expression in the brackets is a polynomial of degree with respect to and with the coefficient of . Thus we obtain
(2) |
This result is true independently on the value of . If this value is chosen such that , then (2) reduces to (1), Q. E. D.
References
- 1 Ernst Lindelöf: Johdatus korkeampaan analyysiin (‘Introduction to Higher Analysis’). Fourth edition. WSOY, Helsinki (1956).