Degree (mathematics)

The degree of a polynomial $p(x)$ is the highest exponent that occurs inside that polynomial. It is represented by the symbol $\mathrm{deg}(p(x))$.

For example, if we look at the polynomial $2x^3-7x^2+5x-4$, then we can see that the degree of this polynomial is $3$, because the highest power in the variable $x$ is $3$. It occurs in the term $x^3$.

The name of the variable is not important. For example, the polynomial $-6y^5+2y^3-25y-58$ has degree $5$, because the highest power of the variable, in this case $y$, is $5$, which occurs in the term $y^5$.

Related pages

• Fundamental theorem of algebra, a theorem which states that a polynomial of degree $n$ has $n$ complex roots.

References

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