Solution - Simplification or other simple results

Step  1  :

Step  2  :

Pulling out like terms :

 2.1     Pull out like factors :

   -x² - 8x - 15  =   -1 • (x² + 8x + 15) 

Trying to factor by splitting the middle term

 2.2     Factoring  x² + 8x + 15 

The first term is,  x²  its coefficient is  1 .
The middle term is,  +8x  its coefficient is  8 .
The last term, "the constant", is  +15 

Step-1 : Multiply the coefficient of the first term by the constant   1 • 15 = 15 

Step-2 : Find two factors of  15  whose sum equals the coefficient of the middle term, which is   8 .

Step-3 : Rewrite the polynomial splitting the middle term using the two factors found in step 2 above,  3  and  5 
                     x² + 3x + 5x + 15

Step-4 : Add up the first 2 terms, pulling out like factors :
                    x • (x+3)
              Add up the last 2 terms, pulling out common factors :
                    5 • (x+3)
Step-5 : Add up the four terms of step 4 :
                    (x+5)  •  (x+3)
             Which is the desired factorization

Final result :

  (-x - 5) • (x + 3)