polynomial

In mathematics, an algebraic expression that has one or more variables (denoted by letters). A polynomial equation has the form:

f(x) = a_nxⁿ + a_n−1xⁿ⁻¹ + … + a₂x² + a₁x + a₀

where a_n, a_n−1, …, a₀ are all constants, n is a positive integer, and a_n ≠ 0. Examples of polynomials are:

f(x) = 3x⁴ + 2x² + 1

or

f(x) = x⁵ − 18x + 71

or

f(x) = 2x + 3

A polynomial of degree one, that is, whose highest power of x is 1, as in 2x + 1, is called a linear polynomial;

3x² + 2x + 1 is quadratic;

4x³ + 3x² + 2x + 1 is cubic.