Solution - Simplification or other simple results

Step  1  :

Trying to factor by splitting the middle term

 1.1     Factoring  p²+18p-40 

The first term is,  p²  its coefficient is  1 .
The middle term is,  +18p  its coefficient is  18 .
The last term, "the constant", is  -40 

Step-1 : Multiply the coefficient of the first term by the constant   1 • -40 = -40 

Step-2 : Find two factors of  -40  whose sum equals the coefficient of the middle term, which is   18 .

Step-3 : Rewrite the polynomial splitting the middle term using the two factors found in step 2 above,  -2  and  20 
                     p² - 2p + 20p - 40

Step-4 : Add up the first 2 terms, pulling out like factors :
                    p • (p-2)
              Add up the last 2 terms, pulling out common factors :
                    20 • (p-2)
Step-5 : Add up the four terms of step 4 :
                    (p+20)  •  (p-2)
             Which is the desired factorization

Final result :

  (p + 20) • (p - 2)