POLYNOMIALS

A polynomial is given by

P( x ) = an x n + an-1 x n-1 + ... + a2 x 2 + a1 x + a0

an , an-1 , .... Î R (coefficients are real numbers)

n, n - 1, .... ÎW ( powers are whole numbers)
Þ All polynomials are functions.

Example: Which of the following are polynomials?

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a) P ( x) = 3 x 2 - x+5 d) P ( x) = 3 - 3 x - 2 x 4 + 2
2

1 3 1 4
b) P ( x) = x - -3 e) P ( x) = 3 x - x+ x
2

3 3x 5

x2 - 4
c) P ( x) = f) P ( x) = x 2 - 3 x + - 2
x+2

n-2 8- n
Example: P ( x) = 3 x + x - 2 x
3
is a polynomial. Find all the possible values of “n”.

n 2 + n +12

Example: P ( x) = x n
- 2 x n-2 is a polynomial. Find all the possible values of “n”.

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HOMEWORK
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1) P ( x ) = x n - 3xn-3 + 2x - 1 is a polynomial. Find all the possible values of “n”.

3n - 8
2) P ( x ) = x n
- 3x n+ 2 - 4 is a polynomial. Find all the possible values of “n”.

!"#
3) 𝑃(𝑥) = (𝑚 − 3)√𝑥 + $
− 2𝑥 is a polynomial. Find 𝑚 + 𝑛.

4) P ( x) = x m -1
+ 7 x 3m-17 + 3 is a polynomial. Find all the possible values of “m”.

Answers: 1) {3, 6} 2) {4, 8, −1, −2} 3) 1 4)

NOTE: P( x ) = ax 3 + bx 2 + cx + d
There are 4 terms.
a, b, c and d are the coefficients.
The degree of the polynomial is 3.
‘a’ is the leading coefficient.
‘d’ is the constant term. (The constant term has a degree of zero.)

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Example: P( x ) = 5x - 6 x 4 - 3x 5 - 7

a) number of terms is …………………………….

b) the coefficients are…………………………......
c) the degree is…………………………………….
d) the leading coefficient is.……………………….
e) the constant term is……………………..………

In 𝑃(𝑥) = 𝑎𝑥 % + 𝑏𝑥 # + 𝑐𝑥 + 𝑑 ;

* If a = b = c = 0 , then the polynomial is a constant polynomial. P( x ) = d (degree is zero)

* If a = b = d = 0 and c = 1 , then the polynomial is an identity polynomial. P( x ) = x (degree is one)

* If a = b = c = d = 0 , then the polynomial is a zero polynomial. P( x ) = 0 (no degree)

For example,
* P( x ) = 3 y + z is a constant polynomial which has a degree of “0”.

* P( x ) = z 5 - x 4 is a 4th degree polynomial.

* P( y ) = 2 y 2 - x 3 is a 2nd degree polynomial.

* P( y ) = x is a constant polynomial.

Example: P( x ) = (a - 3) x 2 + (b + 2) x - 5 is a constant polynomial. Find a and b.

Example: P( x ) = (m + 3) x 2 + (n - 5) x + p - 2 is a zero polynomial. Find m + n + p.

Example: P(x ) = (a - 3)x 3 + (b - 2) x 2 + (c + 4) x + a - b + 2c + d is an identity polynomial. Find a, b, c, d.

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Example: P ( x ) = x 2 - 3 x + 1
a) P(2) = ?

b) P(x+1) = ?

Example: P (x + 5) = 3 x + 7
a) P(-2) = ?

b) P(x) = ?

RULES: In a given polynomial,

a) Substitute 0 for x to find the constant term.

b) Substitute 1 for x to find the sum of the coefficients.

Example: Given that; P ( x - 2) = x 2 - x - 1

a) Find the sum of the coefficients of P (x ).

b) Find the constant term of P (x ).

c) Find the sum of the coefficients of P ( x + 1).

d) Find the constant term of P (3 - x ).

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Example: Given that; 𝑃(𝑥) = 3𝑥 # − 4𝑥 + 6. Find
a) the sum of the coefficients and of 𝑃(𝑥 + 2).

b) The constant term of 𝑃(2𝑥 − 1).

Example: Given that; 𝑃(𝑥 − 1) = 𝑥 # + 1. Find the sum of the coefficients of (𝑥 + 1) ∙ 𝑃(𝑥 + 2).

Example: Given that; P (x + 1) - 2 × P( x) = x 2 - 3 x + 1 . If the sum of the coefficients of P ( x ) is 2 ,

find the constant term of P ( x ) .

Example: Given that; 𝑃(𝑥 + 2) = (𝑥 % − 𝑥 − 1) ∙ 𝑄(5𝑥 + 11) + 3𝑥. If the constant term of 𝑃(𝑥) is 8,
find the sum of the coefficients of 𝑄(𝑥).

Example: The constant term of P ( x - 1) is 3. The sum of the coefficients of Q ( x + 1) is 7.

!.#(%&')&%.)(%)
If = -2 , find k.
*

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HOMEWORK:
1) 𝑃(2𝑥) = 𝑥 # + 𝑥 + 1 olmak üzere, 𝑃(𝑥 % + 2) polinomunun sabit terimi kaçtır?

2) 𝑃(𝑥 + 3) = 2𝑥 # + 5𝑥 + 3 olmak üzere, 𝑃(2𝑥 + 1) polinomunun kat sayılar toplamı kaçtır?

3) 𝑃(𝑥 − 2) = 𝑥 # + 1 + 𝑄(𝑥 − 3) olmak üzere, 𝑃(𝑥 − 4) polinomunun kat sayılar toplamı 4 ise,
𝑄(𝑥 − 4) polinomunun sabit terimi kaçtır?

4) 𝑃(𝑥 − 1) + 𝑥 # ∙ 𝑃(𝑥 + 1) = 𝑥 % + 3𝑥 # + 𝑥 + 1 olmak üzere, 𝑃(2) = 4 ise, 𝑃(𝑥) polinomunun sabit

terimi kaçtır?

5) 𝑃(𝑥 + 2) − 𝑥 ∙ 𝑄(𝑥 + 1) = 𝑥 % + 2𝑥 + 1 olmak üzere, 𝑃(𝑥 + 1) polinomunun sabit terimi 5 ise,

𝑄(𝑥 − 1) polinomunun kat sayılar toplamı kaçtır?

Answers: 1) 3 2) 3 3) 2 4) 2 5) -7

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 EQUALITY OF POLYNOMIALS

Given that: P( x) = ax 3 + bx 2 + cx + d and Q( x) = kx 3 + lx 2 + mx + n

If P( x) = Q( x) , ax 3 + bx 2 + cx + d = kx 3 + lx 2 + mx + n , then a = k , b=l , c = m, d =n

Example: Given that; P(x) = (a+2)x3 + (b – 3)x2 – c and Q(x) = 2x2 + (d – 1)x + 4 .
If P(x) = Q(x) , find a + b + c + d .

Example: Given that; 𝑃(𝑥) = 𝑥 # + 𝑥 + 1 and 𝑄(𝑥) = 3 + 2𝑥 . If 𝑃(𝑥) + 𝑄(𝑚𝑥) = 𝑘𝑥 # + 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑚𝑛 ,

find 𝑘 + 𝑚 + 𝑛.

Example: Given that; 𝑃(𝑥) + 𝑃(𝑥 + 1) = 6𝑥 + 5 . Find 𝑃(𝑥).

DEGREE OF A POLYNOMIAL

Ex: Given that; 𝑃(𝑥) = 2𝑥 & + 𝑥 # − 1 and 𝑄(𝑥) = 𝑥 % − 𝑥

a) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑃(𝑥) + 𝑄(𝑥)]

b) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑃(𝑥) − 𝑄(𝑥)]

NOTE: 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑃(𝑥) ∓ 𝑄(𝑥)] =

c) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑃(𝑥) ∙ 𝑄(𝑥)]

NOTE: 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑃(𝑥) ∙ 𝑄(𝑥)] =

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 '($)
d) 𝑑𝑒𝑔 ?*($)@

'($)
NOTE: 𝑑𝑒𝑔 ?*($)@ =

+,-[#(%)]
e)
+,-[)(%)]

'($) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑃(𝑥)]
NOTE: 𝑑𝑒𝑔 ?*($)@ ≠ 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑄(𝑥)]

f) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑃(𝑥)]# =

𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑃# (𝑥)] =

𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑃(𝑥 # )] =

g) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑄(𝑥 - + 2)]

h) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑥 % ∙ 𝑃(𝑥)]

i) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[(𝑥 % + 2𝑥) ∙ 𝑄(𝑥 # )]

j) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[5 ∙ 𝑄(𝑥)]

k) 𝑑𝑒𝑔B𝑃C𝑄(𝑥)DE

𝑑𝑒𝑔B𝑄C𝑃(𝑥)DE

NOTE: 𝑑𝑒𝑔B𝑃C𝑄(𝑥)DE = 𝑑𝑒𝑔B𝑄C𝑃(𝑥)DE =

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Homework: 1) Given that; 𝑃(𝑥) = 𝑥 # + 2𝑥 and 𝑄(𝑥) = 3𝑥 + 1. Find the following.

a) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑃(𝑥) + 𝑄(𝑥)]

b) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑃(𝑥) ∙ 𝑄(𝑥)]

c) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑃(𝑥)]%

d) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑄# (𝑥 − 1)]

e) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑃(𝑥 - + 2)]

f) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[𝑥 % ∙ 𝑃(𝑥)]

g) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[(𝑥 . + 𝑥) ∙ 𝑃(𝑥 # )]

'($)
h) 𝑑𝑒𝑔 ?*($)@

i) 𝑑𝑒𝑔[3 ∙ 𝑃(𝑥)]

j) 𝑑𝑒𝑔B𝑃C𝑄(𝑥)DE

+,-[#(%)]
k)
+,-[)(%)]

2)

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CLASS EXERCISES:

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

Answers: 1) 20 2) 5 3) 8 4) 2 5) 2
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Homework:

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

Answers: 1) 27 2) a) 12 b) 24 c) 36 d) 9 e) 6 3) 18 4) 8 5) 15

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