Operations with Polynomials

Front

What is a polynomial?

Back

A polynomial is a mathematical expression consisting of variables (also called indeterminates) raised to non-negative integer powers and coefficients. For example, 4x^3 - 3x^2 + 2x - 1 is a polynomial.

Front

What does it mean to simplify a polynomial expression?

Back

Simplifying a polynomial expression means to combine like terms and reduce the expression to its simplest form.

Front

What are like terms in a polynomial?

Back

Like terms are terms that have the same variable raised to the same power. For example, 3x^2 and 5x^2 are like terms.

Front

How do you subtract polynomials?

Back

To subtract polynomials, distribute the negative sign to the second polynomial and then combine like terms.

Front

What is the degree of a polynomial?

Back

The degree of a polynomial is the highest power of the variable in the expression. For example, in 4x^3 - 2x^2 + 7, the degree is 3.

Front

What is the leading coefficient of a polynomial?

Back

The leading coefficient is the coefficient of the term with the highest degree in a polynomial. For example, in 5x^4 + 3x^2 - 2, the leading coefficient is 5.

Front

What is the standard form of a polynomial?

Back

The standard form of a polynomial is when the terms are arranged in descending order of their degrees. For example, 2x^3 + 3x^2 - x + 5 is in standard form.

Front

How do you multiply polynomials?

Back

To multiply polynomials, use the distributive property (also known as the FOIL method for binomials) to multiply each term in the first polynomial by each term in the second polynomial.

Front

What is the result of (a + b)(a - b)?

Back

The result is a^2 - b^2, which is known as the difference of squares.

Front

What is the process of factoring a polynomial?

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Factoring a polynomial involves expressing it as a product of its factors, which can include numbers, variables, or other polynomials.