When factoring a trinomial, what should you first identify?

When factoring a trinomial, the first step is to identify common factors. This is important because factoring out a common factor simplifies the trinomial, potentially making the remaining expression easier to work with. By extracting any common factors upfront, you reduce the complexity of the polynomial, which allows you to focus on the other factors that may be involved without confusion from unnecessary coefficients.

Identifying the leading coefficient, the roots of the equation, or the highest degree might be useful in later stages of factoring or solving the polynomial, but these steps are not the first priority when attempting to factor a trinomial. Establishing common factors ensures a clearer approach to breaking down the expression and leads to more straightforward operations in subsequent steps.