Polynomials

• A polynomial is an expression with one or more terms connected by addition or subtraction
• A variable is an unknown number
• The coefficient of a term is the numerical factor
• If a term is a number only, it is called a constant term or simply a constant, like x² = 1 or 3x² = 3x1 = 3
• Polynomials have specific terminologies based on the number of terms:

  • Monomial (one term)
  • Binomial (two terms)
  • Trinomial (three terms)
• The degree of a term is the sum of the exponents of its variables
• The leading term of a polynomial is the term of highest degree
• The degree of a polynomial with more than two terms is the same as the degree of its leading term
• The degree of the polynomial is equal to the highest exponent on any variable.
• A term is a number or variable raised to a power
• Like terms: terms that have the same variable raised to the same power
• How is the degree of a polynomial determined?

  1. calculate the variable’s degree
  2. decide the highest degree in these terms