Polynomials — Chapter Summary

A polynomial in x is

A polynomial in x is an algebraic expression containing the sum of a finite number of terms of the form ax^n, where a is a real number and n is a whol

The degree is the highest power

The degree is the highest power of the variable in the polynomial. A constant non-zero number has degree 0.

A polynomial of degree 1

A polynomial of degree 1 is linear and has the form ax+b, where a not equal to 0. Its graph is a straight line and it has exactly one zero, namely -b/

A polynomial of degree 2

A polynomial of degree 2 is quadratic and has the form ax^2+bx+c, where a not equal to 0. Its graph is a parabola, opening upward if a>0 and downward

A polynomial of degree 3

A polynomial of degree 3 is cubic and has the form ax^3+bx^2+cx+d, where a not equal to 0. A cubic polynomial has at most three zeroes.