Polynomial Functions

Abstract

The general form of a polynomial function is

$$f\left( x \right) = a{x^n} + b{x^{n - 1}} + c{x^{n - 2}} + ... + k$$

where a, b, c,…, k are constants. The order, or degree, of a polynomial is the value of the highest exponent on the independent variable, x. We say that the function above is ‘nth order’, or ‘of degree n’ The higher the order of a polynomial function, the greater the curvature and the more curvature changes in general. We shall study curvature changes in more detail in Chapter 18.