Special Factoring

In this section, we focus on special factoring rules. These are generic factoring formulas that we memorize for commonly occurring problems. Memorizing these formulas will greatly increase our speed on homework, tests, or standardized tests such as the ACT, or SAT. In many cases, the time given for an exam is built assuming we know these formulas. Here we will look at the formula to factor: the difference of two squares, perfect square trinomials, and the difference/sum of cubes. In each case, we will memorize the generic formula and use a substitution technique to apply this to our given problem.