Why a linear numerator for fractions with irreducible denominators? For example: (2x^3+5x+1)/((x^2+4)(x^2+x+2)) breaks down to (ax+b/(x^2+4))+(cx+d/(x^2+x+2)). I have been told that since the denominators are irreducible, the numerators will be either linear or constant. Now my question is for something like (2x^3+5x+1/(x^2-4)) you would make it equal (A/(x+2))+(B/(x-2)), why do assume that the numerators are constant? Why couldn't the numerators be linear like the irreducible one?

With a fraction like $ax+b\over cx+d$ it is always possible to remove $a\over c$ copies of the denominator from the numerator, leaving a constant in the numerator:
$${ax+b\over cx+d}={ax+b-ax-\frac ac d\over cx+d}+\frac ac={b-\frac{ad}c\over cx+d}+\frac ac$$
In other words, we have the choice of leaving the fraction in a "linear over linear" form, or changing it to be in a "constant over linear plus constant" form.  Note that a function like $\dfrac a{bx+c}+d$ is easier to graph than one like $\dfrac{ax+b}{cx+d}$ because of the constant offsets compared with the affine transformation involved in the second case.
