Algebra: Understanding Polynomials

Finding the Degree of a Polynomial

• To find the degree of a polynomial, coefficients are not necessary, so they can be ignored.
• Follow these steps to find the degree of a polynomial:
  • Drop the constants and coefficients from the equation.
  • Put the terms in decreasing order of their exponents (standard form).
  • Find the power of the largest term, which is the exponent of the first term.
  • Identify the power of the largest term as the degree of the polynomial.

Classification of Polynomials

• Polynomials in one variable are classified based on their degree as:
  • Zero polynomial or constant polynomial
  • Linear polynomial
  • Quadratic polynomial
  • Cubic polynomial