Solution - Simplification or other simple results

Step  1  :

Trying to factor by splitting the middle term

 1.1     Factoring  m²-6m-7 

The first term is,  m²  its coefficient is  1 .
The middle term is,  -6m  its coefficient is  -6 .
The last term, "the constant", is  -7 

Step-1 : Multiply the coefficient of the first term by the constant   1 • -7 = -7 

Step-2 : Find two factors of  -7  whose sum equals the coefficient of the middle term, which is   -6 .

Step-3 : Rewrite the polynomial splitting the middle term using the two factors found in step 2 above,  -7  and  1 
                     m² - 7m + 1m - 7

Step-4 : Add up the first 2 terms, pulling out like factors :
                    m • (m-7)
              Add up the last 2 terms, pulling out common factors :
                     1 • (m-7)
Step-5 : Add up the four terms of step 4 :
                    (m+1)  •  (m-7)
             Which is the desired factorization

Final result :

  (m + 1) • (m - 7)