2. What is a polynomial function? A polynomial function is a function with an exponent that is positive and has a whole number. Polynomials can be in standard form and factored form. They can also have different “degrees.”
3. What are degrees? Degrees are basically the function whenthe highest power of x is first in standard form. So if there was a x cubed and a 2x squared and a 5. The polynomial would be a third degree polynomial because the highest exponent was a 3.
4. Second-degree polynomials Examples of a second-degree polynomial are: The reason these polynomials are second degree because the first x in both functions are squared.
5. Second-degree polynomials continued … The zero of the function and the x-intercept are always opposites. Example: if the zero of the function was 5 the x-intercept would be -5. The only time when both the zero of the function and the x-intercept could be the same is when there is a zero of multiplicity of 2.
6. Third-degree polynomials Examples of third-degree polynomials are: These are both third-degree polynomials because the first x of each function is cubed.
7. Fourth-degree polynomials The following are examples of a fourth-degree polynomial: These are both fourth-degree polynomials because the first x of the function are both to the fourth power
