Divide using synthetic division $$ ( x^{3}-4x^{2}-x+4 ) \div ( x+1 ) $$
Answer
The synthetic division table is:
$$ \begin{array}{c|rrrr}-1&1&-4&-1&4\\& & -1& 5& \color{black}{-4} \\ \hline &\color{blue}{1}&\color{blue}{-5}&\color{blue}{4}&\color{orangered}{0} \end{array} $$The solution is:
$$ \frac{ x^{3}-4x^{2}-x+4 }{ x+1 } = \color{blue}{x^{2}-5x+4} $$Explanation
Step 1 : Write down the coefficients of the dividend into division table. Put the zero from $ x + 1 = 0 $ ( $ x = \color{blue}{ -1 } $ ) at the left.
$$ \begin{array}{c|rrrr}\color{blue}{-1}&1&-4&-1&4\\& & & & \\ \hline &&&& \end{array} $$Step 1 : Bring down the leading coefficient to the bottom row.
$$ \begin{array}{c|rrrr}-1&\color{orangered}{ 1 }&-4&-1&4\\& & & & \\ \hline &\color{orangered}{1}&&& \end{array} $$Step 2 : Multiply by the number on the left, and carry the result into the next column: $ \color{blue}{ -1 } \cdot \color{blue}{ 1 } = \color{blue}{ -1 } $.
$$ \begin{array}{c|rrrr}\color{blue}{-1}&1&-4&-1&4\\& & \color{blue}{-1} & & \\ \hline &\color{blue}{1}&&& \end{array} $$Step 3 : Add down last column: $ \color{orangered}{ -4 } + \color{orangered}{ \left( -1 \right) } = \color{orangered}{ -5 } $
$$ \begin{array}{c|rrrr}-1&1&\color{orangered}{ -4 }&-1&4\\& & \color{orangered}{-1} & & \\ \hline &1&\color{orangered}{-5}&& \end{array} $$Step 4 : Multiply by the number on the left, and carry the result into the next column: $ \color{blue}{ -1 } \cdot \color{blue}{ \left( -5 \right) } = \color{blue}{ 5 } $.
$$ \begin{array}{c|rrrr}\color{blue}{-1}&1&-4&-1&4\\& & -1& \color{blue}{5} & \\ \hline &1&\color{blue}{-5}&& \end{array} $$Step 5 : Add down last column: $ \color{orangered}{ -1 } + \color{orangered}{ 5 } = \color{orangered}{ 4 } $
$$ \begin{array}{c|rrrr}-1&1&-4&\color{orangered}{ -1 }&4\\& & -1& \color{orangered}{5} & \\ \hline &1&-5&\color{orangered}{4}& \end{array} $$Step 6 : Multiply by the number on the left, and carry the result into the next column: $ \color{blue}{ -1 } \cdot \color{blue}{ 4 } = \color{blue}{ -4 } $.
$$ \begin{array}{c|rrrr}\color{blue}{-1}&1&-4&-1&4\\& & -1& 5& \color{blue}{-4} \\ \hline &1&-5&\color{blue}{4}& \end{array} $$Step 7 : Add down last column: $ \color{orangered}{ 4 } + \color{orangered}{ \left( -4 \right) } = \color{orangered}{ 0 } $
$$ \begin{array}{c|rrrr}-1&1&-4&-1&\color{orangered}{ 4 }\\& & -1& 5& \color{orangered}{-4} \\ \hline &\color{blue}{1}&\color{blue}{-5}&\color{blue}{4}&\color{orangered}{0} \end{array} $$Bottom line represents the quotient $ \color{blue}{ x^{2}-5x+4 } $ with a remainder of $ \color{red}{ 0 } $.