Polynomials
Terms
Ascending Order
-
An ordering of terms of a polynomial in which the degree of each term
is at least as large as the degree of the preceding term.
Binomial
-
A polynomial with two terms.
Common Factor
-
A factor of all the terms in an expression.
Degree
-
of a monomial. The sum of the exponents of its variables.
of a polynomial. The largest of the degrees of its individual
terms.
Descending Order
-
An ordering of terms of a polynomial in which the degree of each term
is no larger than the degree of the preceding term.
Difference of Squares
-
The binomial which is the product of the sum and difference of the
same two terms, i.e. one of the form
a
2 - b
2
.
Factor
-
A factor is integer, variable, or polynomial that can be multiplied by
a constant, an integer, or a polynomial to produce the given
expression. To factor means to separate an expression into simpler
factors. For instance,
| a 2 -2ab + b 2 | = | (a - b)(a - b) | |
| ax 2 + abx + ac | = | a(x 2 + bx + c) |
Leading Coefficient
-
The coefficient of the first term of a polynomial written in
descending order.
Monomial
-
An expression with a single term; a real number, a variable, or the
product of real numbers and variables
Perfect Square Trinomial
-
The square of a binomial; has the form
a
2 +2ab + b
2
.
Polynomial
-
A monomial or the sum or difference of several monomials.
Trinomial
-
A polynomial with three terms.





