Polynomial and degree

By adding several monomials together we obtain a polynomial: the central object of all algebra.

Definition — Polynomial

A polynomial is an algebraic sum of monomials. The degree of the polynomial is the greatest of the degrees of its monomials.

For example, $3x^2y - 5xy + 7$ is a polynomial: its monomials have degrees $3$, $2$ and $0$, so the degree of the polynomial is $3$.

Links

Topics: Algebraic calculus
Concepts: Degree of a polynomial · Monomial · Polynomial