Significance Polynomial functions are relatively easy to understand. Low degree polynomial equations can be solved explicitly.
Polynomials provide good examples for studying more general functions.
The a i are real numbers and are called coefficients . The term a n is assumed to be non-zero and is called the leading term . A polynomial with one term is called a monomial . A degree 0 polynomial is a constant. A degree 1 polynomial is a linear function , a degree 2 polynomial is a quadratic function, a degree 3 polynomial a cubic, a degree 4 a quartic, and so on.