Review

STUDY FOR FINALS!!

Graph of Cubic function, where y=x^3
Polynomial Functions
Basic definitions:
1. When numbers are added or subtracted, they are called terms.
When numbers are multiplied, they are called factors.
2. A variable is a symbol that takes on values. A value is a number.
3. A constant is a symbol that has a single value.
4. A monomial in x is a single term of the form axn, where a is a real number and n is a whole number.
The whole numbers, recall, are the non-negative integers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.
5. A polynomial in x is a sum of monomials in x.
6. The degree of a term is the sum of the exponents of all the variables in that term.
7. The leading term of a polynomial is the term of highest degree.
8. The leading coefficient of a polynomial is the coefficient of the leading term.
9. The degree of a polynomial is the degree of the leading term.
10.. The constant term of a polynomial is the term of degree 0; it is the term in which the variable does not appear.