# How to typeset and annotate a polynomial long division

I need to type a paper for a teacher, who hasn't seen the European division method, so that she could possibly use it in her curriculum.

I need something to look like this

x^2+4x+4       Box(x+2)
-(x^2 + 2x)
----------------
2x+4
-(2x + 4)
-----------------
0

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–  Peter Grill Nov 9 '12 at 1:38
I am not sure what the Box(x+2) means. –  Peter Grill Nov 9 '12 at 1:45
“European division” is unknown to me. I guess you meant en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynomial_long_division –  Speravir Nov 9 '12 at 2:28
Great picture IMHO: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beispiel_Polynomdivision.png –  Speravir Nov 9 '12 at 2:49
Did you perchance mix up the words "European" and "Euclidean"? –  Federico Poloni Nov 10 '12 at 10:04

Here is one way to do this:

## Notes:

• The booktabs package was used to provide flexible horizontal rules.
• The \Ph macro uses \hphantom{)} to insert a horizontal space equivalent to the closing bracket to get things all aligned.

## Code:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{array}
\newcommand*{\Ph}{\hphantom{)}}%
\begin{document}
$\begin{array}{r@{} r@{} r r} x^2 &{}+4x\Ph&{}+4\Ph &\fbox{$(x+2)$} \\ -(x^2 &{}+ 2x) &\\ \cmidrule{1-2} & 2x\Ph &{}+4\Ph\\ &-(2x\Ph &{}+4) \\ \cmidrule{2-3} & &0\Ph \end{array}$
\end{document}

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Thanks but how do I get an actual box for the x+2? I really appreciate your help. My gratitude. –  Person Nov 9 '12 at 1:46
@Person: Use \boxed{($x+2$)}  with amsmath loaded. –  Harish Kumar Nov 9 '12 at 1:48
@HarishKumar: I was not aware of \boxed, but that seems to force the text inside the box to be in \text mode somehow even with , so used \fbox instead. –  Peter Grill Nov 9 '12 at 1:53
@PeterGrill: \boxed is defined by amsmath for mathmode. There is a similar \Aboxed in mathtools. If you use \boxed{(x+2)}, then it will be in mathmode. Don't use $. – Harish Kumar Nov 9 '12 at 2:17 @HarishKumar: Thanks. I am familiar with \Aboxed form my very first question posted on TeX.SE. But, am surprised that \boxed{$(x+2)\$} compiled with x in text mode -- seems like a bug? –  Peter Grill Nov 9 '12 at 2:43

Try looking at the package polynom.sty (CTAN, TeXdoc). It can even do the division for you.

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For an example, see tex.stackexchange.com/a/79222/586 –  Torbjørn T. Nov 10 '12 at 8:00