Polynomial
In mathematics, a polynomial is an expression consisting of variables (also called indeterminates) and coefficients, that involves only the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and non-negative integer exponentiation of variables. An example of a polynomial of a single indeterminate x is x2 − 4x + 7.
How do you know if you have a leading coefficient?
Identify the leading coefficient. The leading term in a polynomial is the term with the highest degree. The leading coefficient in a polynomial is the coefficient of the leading term. Since the leading coefficient is negative, the graph falls to the right.
We can find the degree of a polynomial by identifying the highest power of the variable that occurs in the polynomial. The term with the highest degree is called the leading term because it is usually written first. The coefficient of the leading term is called the leading coefficient.
How did you find the value of a polynomial expression P(x) at a given value of x?
When you evaluate an expression for a given value, you substitute that given value in the expression, and find its numerical value. In the following example, x = −2, you replace all of the x's with a value of −2 and simplify the expression following the order of operations.
