5-1 Polynomial Vocabulary

polynomial

a monomial or a sum or difference of monomials

coefficient

a number multiplied by a variable

monomial

a number, a variable, or a product of a number and one or more variables. The variables must have only whole number exponents.

standard form of a polynomial

a polynomial that is written with the terms in order from greatest degree to least degree.

linear

a polynomial with a degree of 1

quadratic

a polynomial with a degree of 2

cubic

a polynomial with a degree of 3

quartic

a polynomial with a degree of 4

quintic

a polynomial with a degree of 5

trinomial

a polynomial with three terms

binomial

a polynomial with two terms

constant

a term without a variable and has a degree of zero

end behavior

directions of the graph to the far left and to the far right (can also describe the far left and the far right as "as x approaches negative infinity and x approaches positive infinity"

turning points

places where the graph changes direction

degree of a polynomial

the greatest degree of any term in the polynomial

degree of a monomial

the sum of the exponents of the variables