Mathematics · Polynomial Functions · Topic 1 · 1 of 18
Introduction to Polynomial Functions
Identify polynomial functions and distinguish them from other expressions.
Polynomial functionA function made from constants and variables with whole-number exponents.
Allowed exponents0, 1, 2, 3, ... only. Negative and fractional exponents are not polynomial.
Finite number of termsTerms are joined by addition or subtraction, such as 3x² − 2x + 5.
How to recognize one
- Check that variables are not in denominators.
- Check that variables are not inside radicals.
- Check that every variable exponent is a nonnegative integer.
Polynomial: f(x)=4x³−2x+7 Not polynomial: g(x)=+1 or h(x)=