Division Algorithm for Whole Numbers

The division algorithm is useful when we are considering non-meaningful division of whole numbers, or division problems that have a remainder. The division algorithm allows us to check our long division problems by reassembling the components of the long division problem.

Mathematically we can write a = dq + r where

a is the dividend (original number or "amount")
d is the divisor (number being divided by)
q is the quotient (what we think of as the answer)
r is the remainder