Adjacent Words

Polynomial definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

POLYNO'MIAL, a. Containing many names or terms.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: having the character of a polynomial; "a polynomial expression" [syn: polynomial, multinomial] n
1: a mathematical function that is the sum of a number of terms [syn: polynomial, multinomial]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: poly- + -nomial (as in binomial) Date: 1674 a mathematical expression of one or more algebraic terms each of which consists of a constant multiplied by one or more variables raised to a nonnegative integral power (as a + bx + cx²) II. adjective Date: circa 1704 relating to, composed of, or expressed as one or more polynomials <polynomial functions> <polynomial equations>

Britannica Concise

In algebra, an expression consisting of numbers and variables grouped according to certain patterns. Specifically, polynomials are sums of monomials of the form , where (the coefficient) can be any real number and (the degree) must be a whole number. A polynomial's degree is that of its monomial of highest degree. Like whole numbers, polynomials may be prime or factorable into products of primes. They may contain any number of variables, provided that the power of each variable is a nonnegative integer. They are the basis of algebraic equation solving. Setting a polynomial equal to zero results in a polynomial equation; equating it to a variable results in a polynomial function, a particularly useful tool in modeling physical situations. Polynomial equations and functions can be analyzed completely by methods of algebra and calculus.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & adj. Math. --n. an expression of more than two algebraic terms, esp. the sum of several terms that contain different powers of the same variable(s). --adj. of or being a polynomial. Etymology: POLY-(1) after multinomial

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Polynomial Pol`y*no"mi*al, a. 1. Containing many names or terms; multinominal; as, the polynomial theorem. 2. Consisting of two or more words; having names consisting of two or more words; as, a polynomial name; polynomial nomenclature.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Polynomial Pol`y*no"mi*al, n. [Poly- + -nomial, as in monomial, binomial: cf. F. polyn[^o]me.] (Alg.) An expression composed of two or more terms, connected by the signs plus or minus; as, a^2 - 2ab + b^2.