Polynomials

Polynomials: A Matter of Degrees

Last time we examined why polynomials are defined as they are. This time, let’s look at some tricky aspects of the concept of “degree”, mostly involving something being zero.

Polynomials: Why Are Terms What They Are?

A question last week (Hi, Zahraa!) led me to digĀ  up some old discussions of how we define a polynomial (or monomial, or term) and, specifically, why the exponents have to be non-negative integers. Why can we only multiply, and not divide by, variables? Since we’ve been looking at polynomials, let’s continue.

The Shape of a Polynomial at its Zeros

Last week’s discussion about zeros of a polynomial, and other conversations, have reminded me of a past discussion of the shape of the graph of a polynomial near its zeros. Let’s take a look, starting with some other questions that nicely lead up to it.

Is That Really a Polynomial?

(A new question of the week) We often see polynomials in a simplistic way, imagining that any function whose graph resembles a polynomial is a polynomial. Much as an attempt to mimic random data often lacks essential properties of genuine randomness, so what we intend to be a polynomial often is not. As we observe …

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