5.

3 – Polynomials and Polynomial Functions

Definitions
Term: a number or a product of a number and variables raised
to a power.
3, 5 x ,  2 x, 9 x y
2 2

Coefficient: the numerical factor of each term.

5 x 2 ,  2 x, 9 x 2 y
Constant: the term without a variable.
3,  6, 5, 32
Polynomial: a finite sum of terms of the form axn, where a is a
real number and n is a whole number.
15 x  2 x  5
3 2 21 y 6  7 y 5  2 y 3  6 y
5.3 – Polynomials and Polynomial Functions
Definitions
Monomial: a polynomial with exactly one term.
2
ax , rt , 2x ,4
9m, 2
9x y
Binomial: a polynomial with exactly two terms.

x  8, r  3, 5 x 2  2 x, 2 x  9 x 2 y
Trinomial: a polynomial with exactly three terms.

x 2  x  8, r 5  3r  3, 5x2  2x  7
 5.3 – Polynomials and Polynomial Functions
Definitions
The Degree of a Term with one variable is the exponent on
the variable.
5x 2  2, 2x 4  4, 9m  1
The Degree of a Term with more than one variable is
the sum of the exponents on the variables.
7x y  3,
2
2x y  6,
4 2
9mn z  10
5 4

The Degree of a Polynomial is the greatest degree of

the terms of the polynomial variables.

2 x  3 x  7  3,
3
2 x y  5x y  6 x  6
4 2 2 3
 5.3 – Polynomials and Polynomial Functions
Practice Problems
Identify the degrees of each term and the degree of the
polynomial.

5x  4 x  5x
3 2
4 𝑎2 𝑏4 +3 𝑎 3 𝑏 5 − 9 𝑏4 + 4
 

3 2 1 6 8 3 0
3 8

4 𝑥 5 𝑦 4 +5 𝑥 4 𝑦 6 −6 𝑥 3 𝑦 3 +2 𝑥𝑦
 

9 10 6 2
10
5.3 – Polynomials and Polynomial Functions
Practice Problems
Evaluate each polynomial function
f   1 f  x   3x 2  10

3  1  10  3 1  10  3  10  7
2

g  3 g  y   6 y 2  11 y  20

6  3  11 3  20  6  9  33  20 
2

54  33  20  87  20  67
5.4 – Polynomials and Polynomial Functions
Multiplication
Multiplying Monomials by Monomials
Examples:

10 x  9 x  90x 2

8 x  11x   10
3 7
 88x

 5x 4
  x  5x 5
5.4 – Polynomials and Polynomial Functions
Multiplication
Multiplying Monomials by Polynomials
Examples:

4 x  x  4 x  3  4x 16x 12x
2 3 2

8 x  7 x  1  56x 8x
4 5

 5x   3x
3 2
 x  2   15x 5x 10x
5 4 3
 5.4 – Polynomials and Polynomial Functions
Multiplication
Multiplying Two Polynomials
Examples:

 x  5  x  10 x  3 
2
x 3
10x 2
3x 5x 2
50x 15
x 3 15x 2 47x 15

  x  5  3x  4  
4 x 2

12x3 16x 23x 24x 15x 20 

12x 13x 11x 20
3 2
 5.4 – Multiplying Polynomials
Special Products
Multiplying Two Binomials using FOIL
First terms Outer terms Inner terms Last terms

 x  3  x  4   x 2
4x 3x 12 
x 7x 12
2

 x  7  x  4   x 2
4x 7x 28 

x 2 3x 28
 5.4 – Multiplying Polynomials
Special Products
Multiplying Two Binomials using FOIL
First terms Outer terms Inner terms Last terms

 2 y 2
 3  
y  4  2 y 3
8y 2
3y 12 

2 y 8y 3y 12

3 2

y  4  y  4  y  4 
2 2 2 2

y 4 y 4 y 16  y 8y 16

4 2 2 4 2
 5.4 – Multiplying Polynomials
Special Products
Squaring Binomials

 a  b   a  2ab  b
2 2 2

 
2
a  b  a 2
 2 ab  b 2

  2  20x  25 
2
4 x  5  16x 2

16 x  40 x  25
2

 3x  6   9x 2  18x  36 

2 2

9 x 2  36 x  36
 5.4 – Multiplying Polynomials
Special Products
Multiplying the Sum and Difference of Two Binomials
 a  b  a  b   a 2
 b 2

 x  9  x  9   x 2
9x 9x 81  x 2
 81

 3x  5  3x  5  9x 2
15x 15x 25  9 x  25
2

 x  8 x  8  x  64
2

 5 x  13 5 x  13  25 x  169

2
5.4 – Multiplying Polynomials
Special Products
Dividing by a Monomial
ab a b
  where c  0
c c c
21x  9 x  12 x
8 6 4

3

3x
8 6 4
21x 9x 12 x
3
 3  3 
3x 3x 3x

7x 3x 4x
5 3
 Extra
Problems
5.4 – Polynomials and Polynomial Functions
Multiplication
Multiplying Two Polynomials
Examples:

 x  5 x  10  x 2
 10 x  5 x  50 

x 2  15 x  50

 4 x  5 3x  4  12x 2
 16 x  15 x  20 

12x 2  x  20
5.4 – Polynomials and Polynomial Functions
Multiplication
Multiplying Two Polynomials
Examples:

 x  3  2 x 2
 5x  4 
2x 5x 4x 6x 15x 12 
3 2 2

2x 3  x 2 11x 12
5.4 – Polynomials and Polynomial Functions
Multiplication
Multiplying Two Polynomials
Examples:

 x  3 y  2
2


 x  3 y  2  x  3 y  2 
x 3xy 2x 3xy 9 y 6 y 2x 6 y 4 
2 2

x 2 6xy 4x 9 y 2 12 y 4