What are Polynomial Functions?

In this article, we will be learning about the different aspects of

polynomial functions. Polynomial is made up of two words, poly, and nomial.
"Poly" means many, and "nomial" means the term, and hence when they are
combined, we can say that polynomials are "algebraic expressions with many
terms". Let’s go ahead and start with the definition of polynomial functions and
their types.
Polynomial Function Definition

Polynomial functions are expressions that may contain variables of

varying degrees, coefficients, positive exponents, and constants. Here are
some examples of polynomial functions.
 f(x) = 3x2 - 5
 g(x) = -7x3 + (1/2) x - 7
 h(x) = 3x4 + 7x3 - 12x2

Polynomial Function in Standard Form

A polynomial function in standard form is: f(x) = ananxn + an−1an−1xn-1 + ...

+ a2a2x2+ a1a1x + a0a0. This algebraic expression is called a polynomial
function in variable x.
Here,
 anan, an−1an−1, … a0a0 are real number constants
 anan can’t be equal to zero and is called the leading coefficient
 n is a non-negative integer
 Each exponent of variable in polynomial function should be a whole number
Degree of a Polynomial Function

The degree of the polynomial function is the highest power of the

variable it is raised to. Consider this polynomial function f(x) = -7x3 + 6x2 +
11x – 19, the highest exponent found is 3 from -7x3. This means that the
degree of this particular polynomial is 3.
Types of Polynomial Functions

The name of a polynomial is determined by the number of terms in it. The

three most common polynomials we usually encounter are monomials,
binomials, and trinomials.
 Monomials are polynomials that contain only one term. Examples: 15x2, 3b, and
12y4
 Binomials are polynomials that contain only two terms. Examples: x + y, 4x – 7, and
9x + 2
 Trinomials are polynomials that contain only three terms. Examples: x3 – 3 + 5x, z4 +
45 + 3z, and x2 – 12x + 15

Further, the polynomials are also classified based on their degrees. The four
most common types of polynomials that are used in precalculus and algebra
are zero polynomial function, linear polynomial function, quadratic polynomial
function, and cubic polynomial function.
Zero Polynomial Function

A zero polynomial function is of the form f(x) = 0, yes, it just contains just 0
and no other term or variable. Since f(x) = a constant here, it is a constant
function.

Linear Polynomial Function

A linear polynomial function has a degree 1. It is of the form f(x) = ax + b.

Some examples of a linear polynomial function are f(x) = x + 3, f(x) = 25x + 4,
and f(y) = 8y – 3.
Quadratic Polynomial Function

A quadratic polynomial function has a degree 2. It is of the form f(x) = ax2 + bx

+ c. Some examples of a quadratic polynomial function are f(m) = 5m2 – 12m
+ 4, f(x) = 14x2 – 6, and f(x) = x2 + 4x.
Cubic Polynomial Function

A cubic polynomial function has a degree 3. It is of the form f(x) = ax3 + bx2 +
cx + d. Some examples of a cubic polynomial function are f(y) = 4y3, f(y) =
15y3 – y2 + 10, and f(a) = 3a + a3.
How to Determine a Polynomial Function?

In order to determine if a function is polynomial or not, the function needs to

be checked against certain conditions for the exponents of the variables.
These conditions are as follows:
 The exponent of the variable in the function in every term must only be a non-
negative whole number.
i.e., the exponent of the variable should not be a fraction or negative number.
 The variable of the function should not be inside a radical i.e, it should not contain
any square roots, cube roots, etc.
 The variable should not be in the denominator.