Return to Theorems, Glossary, Homework Problems.
Statement
(Factor Theorem) An element $a\in F$ is a zero of $f(x)\in F[x]$ if and only if $x-a$ is a factor of $f(x)$ in $F[x]$.
Proof
Suppose that for $a\in F$ we have $f(a)=0$. By Theorem 23.1, there exist $q(x),r(x)\in F[x]$ such that
where either $r(x)=0$ or the degree of $r(x)$ is less than 1. Thus we must have $r(x)=c$ for $c\in F$,so
(2)Applying our evaluation homomorphism,$\phi_a:F[x]\rightarrow F$ of Theorem 22.4$, we find
(3)so it must be that $c=0$.Then $f(x)=(x-a)q(x)$, so $x-a$ is a factor of $f(x)$.
Conversely,if $x-a$ is a factor of $f(x)$ in $F[x]$,where $a\in F$,then applying our evaluation homomorphism $\phi_a$ to $f(x)=(x-a)q(x)$, we have $f(a)=0q(a)=0$.