What is the process called when expressing a polynomial as the product of its factors?

The process of expressing a polynomial as the product of its factors is known as factoring. In mathematics, factoring involves breaking down a polynomial into simpler components called factors, which when multiplied together yield the original polynomial. This is a fundamental concept particularly used in algebra to simplify expressions, solve equations, and analyze polynomial behavior.

For instance, if you have a polynomial like (x^2 - 5x + 6), factoring would involve finding two binomials that multiply to give this polynomial, specifically ((x - 2)(x - 3)).

The other terms describe different mathematical operations: distributing refers to applying the distributive property to multiply a term across a sum or difference, dividing involves splitting a quantity into equal parts or determining how many times one value is contained within another, and multiplying is merely the process of combining numbers or expressions to find their product. These operations do not encompass the concept of rewriting a polynomial in terms of its factors, which is specifically what factoring represents.