Degree of a Polynomial
The degree of a polynomial is the highest power of the variable that appears in the polynomial expression
The degree of a polynomial is the highest power of the variable that appears in the polynomial expression. In other words, it tells us the highest degree term in the polynomial.
To determine the degree of a polynomial, you need to look at the exponents of the variables in each term and find the term with the highest exponent.
For example, consider the polynomial:
3x^4 – 2x^3 + 5x^2 + 7
In this polynomial, the term with the highest degree is 3x^4, where the exponent is 4. Therefore, the degree of this polynomial is 4.
The degree of a polynomial is important because it provides information about the behavior of the polynomial. For example, if the degree is 0, the polynomial is a constant. If the degree is 1, the polynomial is a linear function. If the degree is 2, the polynomial is a quadratic function, and so on.
The degree of a polynomial also affects the number of solutions it can have. For a polynomial of degree n, there can be at most n distinct roots or solutions.
It is worth mentioning that a polynomial can have terms with negative exponents or fractional exponents. In such cases, the degree is still determined by the highest exponent, regardless of its sign or whether it is a whole number.
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