1.

Introduction
A polynomial function is a function such as a quadratic, a cubic, a quartic, and
so on, involving only non-negative integer powers of x. We can give a general
definition of a polynomial, and
define its degree.

2.Definition:
A polynomial function has the form ,
where are real numbers and n is a nonnegative integer. In other
words, a polynomial is the sum of one or more monomials with real coefficients
and nonnegative integer exponents. The degree of the polynomial function is the
highest value for n where an is not equal to 0. Polynomial functions of only one
term are called monomials or power functions. A power function has the form
. For a polynomial function f, any number r for which is
called a zero or root of the function f. When a polynomial function is completely
factored, each of the factors helps identify zeros of the function.

Polynomial functions are among the simplest, most important, and

most commonly used mathematical functions. These functions consist
of one or more terms of variables with whole number exponents.
(Whole numbers are positive integers and zero.) All such functions in
one variable (usually x) can be written in this type of format:

Anatomy of a polynomial function

Polynomial Example Degree
Constant 1 0
Linear 2x+1 1
Quadratic 3x2+2x+1 2
Cubic 4x3+3x2+2x+1 3
Quartic 5x4+4x3+3x2+2 x+1 4

Features of a polynomial graph

End behavior of polynomial function graphs.

Polynomial Functions

Another type of function (which actually includes linear functions, as we will see) is the
polynomial. A polynomial function is a function that is a sum of terms that each have the
general form axn, where a and n are constants and x is a variable. Thus, a polynomial function
p(x) has the following general form:

Note that we use subscripts with the a factors (also referred to as coefficients) to make the
representation of the function more uniform and lucid. When the function has a finite number
of terms, the term with the largest value of n determines the degree of the polynomial: we say
that the function is a polynomial of degree n (or an nth degree polynomial). Thus, a polynomial
of degree n can be written as follows:

Notice, then, that a linear function is a first-degree polynomial:

→ f(x) = mx + b

Polynomials of a degree higher than one are nonlinear functions; that is, they do not plot
graphically as a straight line. Instead, polynomials can have any particular shape depending on
the number of terms and the coefficients of those terms. Finding the zeros of a polynomial
function (recall that a zero of a function f(x) is the solution to the equation f(x) = 0) can be
significantly more complex than finding the zeros of a linear function. For simplicity, we will
focus primarily on second-degree polynomials, which are also called quadratic functions.

Other than P(x), a polynomial function may also be denoted by f(x). Sometimes, a polynomial
function is represented by a set P of ordered pairs (x,y). Thus, a polynomial function can be
written in different ways, like the following.

Polynomials may also be written in factored form and as a product of irreducible factors, that
is, a factor that can no longer be factored using coefficients that are real numbers. Here are
some examples.

a. y = x4 + 2x3 – x2 + 14x – 56 in factored form is y = (x2 + 7)(x – 2)(x + 4)

b. y = x4 + 2x3 – 13x2 – 10x in factored form is y = x(x – 5)(x + 1)(x + 2)

c. y = 6x3 + 45x2 + 66x – 45 in factored form is y = 3(2x – 1)(x + 3)(x + 5)

d. f(x) = x3 + x2 + 18 in factored form is f(x) = (x2 – 2x + 6)(x + 3)

e. f(x) = 2x3 + 5x2 + 7x – 5 in factored form is f(x) = (x2 + 3x + 5)(2x – 1)

Examples.

1 .Given f(x) = –2x2 + 9x – 8, find f(4).

Answer:
Given f(x) = –2x2 + 9x – 8, find f(4).

2. Given f(x) = –2x3 – 7x2 + 9x + 22, find f(3)

Answer:
Given f(x) = –2x3 – 7x2 + 9x + 22, find f(3).

Example:

let p(x) = x3 - 2·x2 + 2·x - 4

1. p(2) = 23 - 2*22 + 2*2 - 4

=8-8+4-4
=0
2 is a zero of p(x).

2. x = 2 is a solution of p(x) = 0

3. p(x) can be written in factored form as

p(x) =(x - 2)·(x2 + 2)
 4. The graph of p(x) below shows an x intercept at x = 2.

Example –

Problem 2: A polynomial function p(x) with real coefficients and of degree 5 has the zeros: -1, 2(with multiplicity 2)
, 0 and 1. p(3) = -12. Find p(x).

Solution to Problem 2:

1. p(x) can be written as follows

p(x) = ax(x + 1)(x - 2)2(x - 1) , a is any real constant not equal to zero.

2. p(3) = -12 gives the following equation in a.

a(3)(3 + 1)(3 - 2)2(3 - 1) = -12

3. Solve the above equation for a to obtain

a = -1/2

4. p(x) is given by

p(x) = -0.5x(x + 1)(x - 2)2(x - 1)

5. The graph of p(x) is shown below.

Check the intercepts and the point (3 , -12) on the graph of p(x) found above.