Polynomials can be classified two different ways - by the number of terms and by their degree.
1. Number of terms.
A monomial has just one term. For example, 4x2 .Remember that a term contains both the variable(s) and its coefficient (the number in front of it.) So the is just one term.
A binomial has two terms. For example: 5x2 -4x
A trinomial has three terms. For example: 3y2+5y-2
Any polynomial with four or more terms is just called a polynomial. For example: 2y5+ 7y3- 5y2+9y-2
Practice classifying these polynomials by the number of terms:
1. 5y
2. 3x2-3x+1
3. 5y-10
4. 8xy
5. 3x4+x2-5x+9
Answers: 1) Monomial 2) Trinomial 3) Binomial 4) Monomial 5) Polynomial
2. Degree. The degree of the polynomial is found by looking at the term with the highest exponent on its variable(s).
