dividing polynomials

[mollykins]

I understand how to divide polynomials, but don't understand how or why it works, when using the bus shelter method (I think there's another way, but we haven't been taught it yet.)

Can anyone shed some light on why you end up with the right answer? Especially after you've moved everything down and taken things away from each other etc etc.

[jomifl]

It is as bibble says, it is just a quicker way of subtracting the divisor repeatedly until there is nothing left as big as the divisor.