Final answer:
A partial fraction decomposition calculator decomposes a complex rational expression into simpler fractions for ease of calculation, particularly for integration. It does not factorize, solve linear equations, or compute integrals directly.
Step-by-step explanation:
A partial fraction decomposition calculator is a tool that takes a complex rational expression and decomposes it into simpler fractions that are easier to work with, especially for integration and solving equations. The correct answer to what a partial fraction decomposition calculator does is b) Decomposes into simpler fractions. It does not factorize polynomials, solve linear equations directly, nor compute integrals, although decomposed fractions might be used as a step in these processes.
To perform partial fraction decomposition, you typically start with a rational expression where the numerator is of lower degree than the denominator. The denominator is then factored if possible, and the expression is broken into a sum of simpler fractions based on the factors of the denominator. This is particularly useful for integration because integrating the sum of simpler fractions is often much easier than integrating the original complex rational expression.