Key Terms

Key Terms

binomial

A binomial is a polynomial with exactly two terms.

degree of a constant

The degree of a constant is $0$.

degree of a polynomial

The degree of a polynomial is the highest degree of all its terms.

degree of a term

The degree of a term of a polynomial is the exponent of its variable.

greatest common factor

The greatest common factor (GCF) of two or more expressions is the largest expression that is a factor of all the expressions.

monomial

A term of the form $a{x}^m$, where $a$ is a constant and $m$ is a whole number, is called a monomial.

negative exponent

If $n$ is a positive integer and $a\ne 0$, then $a^{-n}=\frac{1}{a^n}$.

polynomial

A polynomial is a monomial, or two or more monomials, combined by addition or subtraction.

scientific notation

A number expressed in scientific notation when it is of the form $a\times {10}^n,$ where $a\ge 1$ and $a<10,$ and $n$ is an integer.

trinomial

A trinomial is a polynomial with exactly three terms.

zero exponent

If $a$ is a non-zero number, then $a^0=1$. Any nonzero number raised to the zero power is 1.