What is meant by the degree of a polynomial in one variable?
AIts highest exponent
BIts number of terms
CIts constant term
DIts largest coefficient
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Its highest exponent
1. A polynomial in one variable is called univariate.
2. Its degree, also called its order, is the value of the highest exponent it contains.
3. So a cubic has degree three, whatever the coefficients happen to be.
4. The number of terms is a separate idea, and it gives the names monomial, binomial and trinomial.
_Source: Siyavula Mathematics Grade 12 (Everything Maths, CC BY 4.0), Chapter 5: Polynomials_
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