Generalizing the Classical Remainder Theorem: A Reflection-Based Methodological Strategy

The framework of this paper is the presentation of a case study in which university students are required to extend a particular problem of division of polynomials in one variable over the field of real numbers (as generalizing action) clearly influenced by prior strategies (as reflection generaliza...

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Main Author: Salvador Cruz Rambaud
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Foundations
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9321/4/4/44
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author Salvador Cruz Rambaud
author_facet Salvador Cruz Rambaud
author_sort Salvador Cruz Rambaud
collection DOAJ
description The framework of this paper is the presentation of a case study in which university students are required to extend a particular problem of division of polynomials in one variable over the field of real numbers (as generalizing action) clearly influenced by prior strategies (as reflection generalization). Specifically, the objective of this paper is to present a methodology for generalizing the classical Remainder Theorem to the case in which the divisor is a product of binomials <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>−</mo><msub><mi>a</mi><mn>1</mn></msub><mo>)</mo></mrow><msub><mi>n</mi><mn>1</mn></msub></msup><msup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>−</mo><msub><mi>a</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><mo>)</mo></mrow><msub><mi>n</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></msup><mo>⋯</mo><msup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>−</mo><msub><mi>a</mi><mi>k</mi></msub><mo>)</mo></mrow><msub><mi>n</mi><mi>k</mi></msub></msup></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>a</mi><mn>1</mn></msub><mo>,</mo><msub><mi>a</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><mo>,</mo><mo>⋯</mo><mo>,</mo><msub><mi>a</mi><mi>k</mi></msub><mo>∈</mo><mi mathvariant="double-struck">R</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>n</mi><mn>1</mn></msub><mo>,</mo><msub><mi>n</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><mo>,</mo><mo>⋯</mo><mo>,</mo><msub><mi>n</mi><mi>k</mi></msub><mo>∈</mo><mi mathvariant="double-struck">N</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>. A first approach to this issue is the Taylor expansion of the dividend <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>P</mi><mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> at a point <i>a</i>, which clearly shows the quotient and the remainder of the division of <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>P</mi><mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> by <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>−</mo><mi>a</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow><mi>k</mi></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>, where the degree of <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>P</mi><mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, say <i>n</i>, must be greater than or equal to <i>k</i>. The methodology used in this paper is the proof by induction which allows to obtain recurrence relations different from those obtained by other scholars dealing with the generalization of the classical Remainder Theorem.
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spelling doaj-art-723b6caa2ccc46ebb3c79edba10b7a622025-08-20T02:53:38ZengMDPI AGFoundations2673-93212024-12-014470471210.3390/foundations4040044Generalizing the Classical Remainder Theorem: A Reflection-Based Methodological StrategySalvador Cruz Rambaud0Department of Economics and Business, University of Almería, La Cañada de San Urbano, s/n, 04120 Almería, SpainThe framework of this paper is the presentation of a case study in which university students are required to extend a particular problem of division of polynomials in one variable over the field of real numbers (as generalizing action) clearly influenced by prior strategies (as reflection generalization). Specifically, the objective of this paper is to present a methodology for generalizing the classical Remainder Theorem to the case in which the divisor is a product of binomials <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>−</mo><msub><mi>a</mi><mn>1</mn></msub><mo>)</mo></mrow><msub><mi>n</mi><mn>1</mn></msub></msup><msup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>−</mo><msub><mi>a</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><mo>)</mo></mrow><msub><mi>n</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></msup><mo>⋯</mo><msup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>−</mo><msub><mi>a</mi><mi>k</mi></msub><mo>)</mo></mrow><msub><mi>n</mi><mi>k</mi></msub></msup></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>a</mi><mn>1</mn></msub><mo>,</mo><msub><mi>a</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><mo>,</mo><mo>⋯</mo><mo>,</mo><msub><mi>a</mi><mi>k</mi></msub><mo>∈</mo><mi mathvariant="double-struck">R</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>n</mi><mn>1</mn></msub><mo>,</mo><msub><mi>n</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><mo>,</mo><mo>⋯</mo><mo>,</mo><msub><mi>n</mi><mi>k</mi></msub><mo>∈</mo><mi mathvariant="double-struck">N</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>. A first approach to this issue is the Taylor expansion of the dividend <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>P</mi><mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> at a point <i>a</i>, which clearly shows the quotient and the remainder of the division of <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>P</mi><mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> by <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>−</mo><mi>a</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow><mi>k</mi></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>, where the degree of <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>P</mi><mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, say <i>n</i>, must be greater than or equal to <i>k</i>. The methodology used in this paper is the proof by induction which allows to obtain recurrence relations different from those obtained by other scholars dealing with the generalization of the classical Remainder Theorem.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9321/4/4/44generalizing actionrefection generalizationRemainder Theoremdivision of polynomialsTaylor expansion
spellingShingle Salvador Cruz Rambaud
Generalizing the Classical Remainder Theorem: A Reflection-Based Methodological Strategy
Foundations
generalizing action
refection generalization
Remainder Theorem
division of polynomials
Taylor expansion
title Generalizing the Classical Remainder Theorem: A Reflection-Based Methodological Strategy
title_full Generalizing the Classical Remainder Theorem: A Reflection-Based Methodological Strategy
title_fullStr Generalizing the Classical Remainder Theorem: A Reflection-Based Methodological Strategy
title_full_unstemmed Generalizing the Classical Remainder Theorem: A Reflection-Based Methodological Strategy
title_short Generalizing the Classical Remainder Theorem: A Reflection-Based Methodological Strategy
title_sort generalizing the classical remainder theorem a reflection based methodological strategy
topic generalizing action
refection generalization
Remainder Theorem
division of polynomials
Taylor expansion
url https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9321/4/4/44
work_keys_str_mv AT salvadorcruzrambaud generalizingtheclassicalremaindertheoremareflectionbasedmethodologicalstrategy