PARTIAL FRACTIONS Partial fractions are used as a preliminary manipulation to the integration of certain types of polynomial functions The

following must apply before it is possible to resolve a polynomial fraction into partial fractions: The denominator must be factorised to prime factors The numerator must be at least one degree less than the denominator. This condition may require polynomial long division, in which case only the remainder polynomial will be resolved into partial fractions.

There are basically 3 forms of partial fraction, classified by the form of the denominator: Linear Factors
f ( x) A B C = + + ( x + a )( x + b)( x + c ) ( x + a ) ( x + b) ( x + c )

Repeated Linear Factors f ( x) A B C = + + 3 2 ( x + a) ( x + a ) ( x + a) ( x + a) 3 Quadratic Factors f ( x) Ax + B C = + 2 ( ax + bx + c )( x + d ) (ax + bx + c ) ( x + d )

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Note that the x2 in one of the factors of the denominator signifies quadratic factors. However it is always worth trying to factorise the denominator in the hope that it will then reduce the problem to one involving linear or repeated linear types.