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Polynomials and Fractional Functions

The document discusses polynomials and binomial expressions. Polynomials are algebraic expressions involving terms with variables raised to non-negative integer powers, like x2 - 2x. The degree of a polynomial is the highest power of the variable. Binomial expressions are the sum or difference of two terms, like (1 + x)n. Pascal's triangle shows the coefficients in expanding binomial expressions, with each term obtained by adding the two numbers above it.

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Alex noslen
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61 views3 pages

Polynomials and Fractional Functions

The document discusses polynomials and binomial expressions. Polynomials are algebraic expressions involving terms with variables raised to non-negative integer powers, like x2 - 2x. The degree of a polynomial is the highest power of the variable. Binomial expressions are the sum or difference of two terms, like (1 + x)n. Pascal's triangle shows the coefficients in expanding binomial expressions, with each term obtained by adding the two numbers above it.

Uploaded by

Alex noslen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Algebra: Polynomials

POLYNOMIALS AND FRACTIONAL FUNCTIONS

If each individual term of a fraction is a function is of the form axn

Where ‘a’ is a constant (i.e. to say that it has fixed numerical value) and ‘n’ is a positive
integer, then the function is called a Polynomial.

Hence x2 – 2x, 3x6 – 7x4 + 6, (x – 4)2 are all examples of Polynomials.

* NB – √x x – 1 , √x2 – 2 are not polynomials.

The highest power of x that occurs in a polynomial defines or describes the ‘degree’ or
‘order’ of the polynomial.

Thus 5x6 – 7x3 + 6x is a polynomial of ‘6’ degree.

* NB – A fractional function of the form 3x2 – 7


x3 + 1

where both the numerator and the denominator are polynomials.

Then the fractional function would be referred to as a ‘PROPER FRACTION’ if the


degree of the numerator is less than the degree of the denominator.

 NB – If the degree of the numerator is greater than or equal to the degree of the
denominator the fraction is referred to as an ‘IMPROPER FRACTION’.

An improper numerical fraction such as 9 maybe written as 7 + 2 = 1 + 2


7 7 7

Along a similar line an Improper algebraic fractions x2 – 1 maybe written


x2 + 1

BINOMIAL EXPRESSIONS

A binomial is the sum or difference of two terms.

Pascal’s Triangle

Consider the following expressions

(1 + x)0 ≡1
(1 + x)0 ≡1+x [1]
(1 + x)2 ≡ 1 + 2x + x2 [2]
(1 + x)3 ≡ 1 + 3x + 3x2 + x3 [3]
(1 + x)4 ≡ 1 + 4x + 6x2 + 4x3 + x4 [4]
Algebra: Polynomials

A Closer examination of [4] shows that the coefficient of any one power of x is the sum
of the coefficients of the preceding power of x in the previous expansion.

(1 + x)4 ≡ 1 + 4x + 6x2 + 4x3 + x4

≡ 1 + x + 3x + 3x2 + 3x2 + 3x3 + x3 + x4 factorise

≡ 1 + (1 + 3)x + (3 + 3)x2 + (3 + 1)x3 + x4


≡ 1 + 4x + 6x2 + 4x3 + x4
 NB – Writing the coefficients only as a triangular array gives

0
1 1 2=1+1
1 2 1
1 3 3 1
1 4 6 4 1

Knowing that any one number is obtained by adding together the two numbers in the row
above.
One can add as many further rows as one wish.

0
1 1(1 + x) 1st row
1 2 1 (1 + x)2 2nd row
1 3 3 1 (1 + x)3 3rd row
1 4 6 4 1 (1 + x)4 4th row
1 5 10 10 5 1 (1 + x)5 5th row
1 6 15 20 15 6 1 (1 + x)6 6th row
1 7 21 35 35 21 7 1 (1 + x)7 7th row
1 8 28 56 70 56 28 8 1 (1 + x)8 8th row
Pascals Triangle

 NB - The numbers in row five give the coefficients in the expansion of (1 + x)5
and so on for the subsequent rows.

Example 1. (1 + x)5

(1 + x)5 ≡ 1 + 5x + 10x2 + 10x3 + 5x4 + x5

Example 2. Expand (1 + 3y)3

Simply replace x with 3y

(1 + 3y)3 ≡ 1 + 3(3y) + 3(3y)2 + (3y)3


≡ 1 + 9y + 27y2 + 27y3
Example 3. Expand (a + b)4 and (a + b)6
Algebra: Polynomials

From Pascal’s Triangle

(1 + x)4 ≡ 1 + 4x + 6x2 + 4x3 + x4

Writing (a + b)4 =

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