Solution - Simplification or other simple results

Step  1  :

Trying to factor by splitting the middle term

 1.1     Factoring  x²-7x-8 

The first term is,  x²  its coefficient is  1 .
The middle term is,  -7x  its coefficient is  -7 .
The last term, "the constant", is  -8 

Step-1 : Multiply the coefficient of the first term by the constant   1 • -8 = -8 

Step-2 : Find two factors of  -8  whose sum equals the coefficient of the middle term, which is   -7 .

Step-3 : Rewrite the polynomial splitting the middle term using the two factors found in step 2 above,  -8  and  1 
                     x² - 8x + 1x - 8

Step-4 : Add up the first 2 terms, pulling out like factors :
                    x • (x-8)
              Add up the last 2 terms, pulling out common factors :
                     1 • (x-8)
Step-5 : Add up the four terms of step 4 :
                    (x+1)  •  (x-8)
             Which is the desired factorization

Final result :

  (x + 1) • (x - 8)