Quotient of polynomial division ($s$, $q$)

In polynomial division $q=Qs+r$ over a field, the polynomial quotient is the polynomial $s$. The polynomial remainder $r$ has smaller polynomial degree than the nonzero divisor $Q$ unless it is zero.

In the notation $f=gq+r$, the polynomial quotient is instead named $q$. It is a polynomial determined by the divisor and the polynomial degree bound. The pointwise ratio of the associated polynomial functions satisfiesFor the worked example, $f(0)/g(0)=6/(-2)=-3$, while $q(0)=1$; the correction is $r(0)/g(0)=8/(-2)=-4$. Thus a polynomial quotient need not equal the rational function $f/g$. At $x=1$ and $x=-2$, the pointwise ratio is undefined, but the polynomial quotient still has perfectly well-defined values. When $r=0$, the divisor is a polynomial factor of $f$ and the ratio agrees with $q$ wherever $g(x)\ne 0$.