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Polynomialnotes

Polynomials are algebraic expressions consisting of terms in the form axn, where n is a non-negative integer and a is the coefficient. The degree of a polynomial is the largest exponent. Polynomials can consist of a single term and don't need to contain all powers of the variable. An expression is only a polynomial if it has an unrestricted domain and doesn't have variables in denominators or radicals involving the variables.

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616 views

Polynomialnotes

Polynomials are algebraic expressions consisting of terms in the form axn, where n is a non-negative integer and a is the coefficient. The degree of a polynomial is the largest exponent. Polynomials can consist of a single term and don't need to contain all powers of the variable. An expression is only a polynomial if it has an unrestricted domain and doesn't have variables in denominators or radicals involving the variables.

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PolynomialsFromhttp://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/Alg/Polynomials.

aspx
Inthissectionwewillstartlookingatpolynomials.Polynomialswillshowupinprettymuch
everysectionofeverychapterintheremainderofthismaterialandsoitisimportantthatyou
understandthem.

Wewillstartoffwith
polynomialsinonevariable
.Polynomialsinonevariablearealgebraic
n
expressionsthatconsistoftermsintheform ax where
n
isanonnegative(
i.e.
positiveorzero)
integerand
a
isarealnumberandiscalledthe
coefficient
oftheterm.The
degree
ofa
polynomialinonevariableisthelargestexponentinthepolynomial.

Notethatwewilloftendroptheinonevariablepartandjustsaypolynomial.

Hereareexamplesofpolynomialsandtheirdegrees.

Degree:12

Degree:4

Degree:23

Degree:1

Degree:0

So,apolynomialdoesnthavetocontainallpowersof
x
asweseeinthefirstexample.Also,
polynomialscanconsistofasingletermasweseeinthethirdandfifthexample.

Weshouldprobablydiscussthefinalexamplealittlemore.Thisreallyisapolynomialevenit
maynotlooklikeone.Rememberthatapolynomialisanyalgebraicexpressionthatconsistsof
termsintheform

.Anotherwaytowritethelastexampleis

Writteninthiswaymakesitclearthattheexponentonthe
x
isazero(thisalsoexplainsthe
degree)andsowecanseethatitreallyisapolynomialinonevariable.


Herearesomeexamplesofthingsthatarentpolynomials.

ItisimportanttorememberthatpolynomialshaveUNRESTRICTEDDOMAINS

Thefirstexampleisnotapolynomialbecausethedomainisrestrictedto (0, ) .Asageneral


ruleofthumbifanalgebraicexpressionhasaradicalinitthenitisntapolynomial.

Thesecondexampleisnotapolynomialagain,becausethedomainisrestrictedto
( , 0) (0, ) Anotherruleofthumbisifthereareanyvariablesinthedenominatorofa
fractionthenthealgebraicexpressionisntapolynomial.

Notethatthisdoesntmeanthatradicalsandfractionsarentallowedinpolynomials.Theyjust
cantinvolvethevariables.Forinstance,thefollowingisapolynomial

Therearelotsofradicalsandfractionsinthisalgebraicexpression,butthedenominatorsofthe
fractionsareonlynumbersandtheradicandsofeachradicalareonlyanumbers.Each
x
inthe
algebraicexpressionappearsinthenumeratorandtheexponentisapositive(orzero)integer.
Thereforethisisapolynomial.

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