Solution - Simplification or other simple results

Reformatting the input :

Changes made to your input should not affect the solution:

 (1): "p2"   was replaced by   "p^2". 

Step  1  :

Trying to factor by splitting the middle term

 1.1     Factoring  p²-8p-20 

The first term is,  p²  its coefficient is  1 .
The middle term is,  -8p  its coefficient is  -8 .
The last term, "the constant", is  -20 

Step-1 : Multiply the coefficient of the first term by the constant   1 • -20 = -20 

Step-2 : Find two factors of  -20  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,  -10  and  2 
                     p² - 10p + 2p - 20

Step-4 : Add up the first 2 terms, pulling out like factors :
                    p • (p-10)
              Add up the last 2 terms, pulling out common factors :
                    2 • (p-10)
Step-5 : Add up the four terms of step 4 :
                    (p+2)  •  (p-10)
             Which is the desired factorization

Final result :

  (p + 2) • (p - 10)