polynomial

polynomial, mathematical expression which is a finite sum, each term being a constant times a product of one or more variables raised to powers. With only one variable the general form of a polynomial is a₀xⁿ+a₁x^n-1+a₂x^n-2+…+a_n-1x+a_n where n is a positive integer and a₀, a₁, a₂, … , a_n are any numbers. An example of a polynomial in one variable is 11x⁴-3x³+7x²+x-8. The degree of a polynomial in one variable is the highest power of the variable appearing with a nonzero coefficient; in the example given above, the degree is 4.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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