BBEPMC0R_0312279093.

QXP 12/2/04 2:42 PM Page 17

Section R.3 • Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication of Polynomials 17

• Identify the terms, coefficients, and degree of a polynomial.

R.3 • Add, subtract, and multiply polynomials.

Polynomials
Addition, Polynomials are a type of algebraic expression that you will often encounter
in your study of algebra. Some examples of polynomials are
Subtraction, and 3x
4y , 5y 3
73 y 2  3y
2,
2.3a4, and z 6
5.
Multiplication of All but the first are polynomials in one variable.
Polynomials
Polynomials in One Variable
A polynomial in one variable is any expression of the type
an x n  an
1x n
1   a2x 2  a1x  a0,
where n is a nonnegative integer and an , . . . , a0 are real numbers,
called coefficients. The parts of a polynomial separated by plus
signs are called terms. The leading coefficient is an , and the
constant term is a 0. If an  0, the degree of the polynomial is n.
The polynomial is said to be written in descending order, because
the exponents decrease from left to right.

EXAMPLE 1 Identify the terms of the polynomial

2x
7.5x 3  x
12.
4

Solution Writing plus signs between the terms, we have

2x
7.5x 3  x
12
2x 4  
7.5x 3   x  
12,
4

so the terms are

2x 4,
7.5x 3, x, and
12.

A polynomial, like 23, consisting of only a nonzero constant term has

degree 0. It is agreed that the polynomial consisting only of 0 has no degree.

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

BBEPMC0R_0312279093.QXP 12/2/04 2:42 PM Page 18

18 Chapter R • Basic Concepts of Algebra

EXAMPLE 2 Find the degree of each polynomial.

3
a) 2x
9
3
b) y 2
2  5y 4 c) 7
Solution
POLYNOMIAL DEGREE
a) 2x
9
3
3
3 3
b) y 2
2  5y 4
5y 4  y 2
2 4
c) 7
7x 0 0

Algebraic expressions like 3ab 3
8 and 5x 4y 2
3x 3y 8  7xy 2  6

are polynomials in several variables. The degree of a term is the sum of
the exponents of the variables in that term. The degree of a polynomial is
the degree of the term of highest degree.

EXAMPLE 3 Find the degree of the polynomial

7ab 3
11a2b 4  8.
Solution The degrees of the terms of 7ab 3
11a2b 4  8 are 4, 6, and 0,
respectively, so the degree of the polynomial is 6.

A polynomial with just one term, like
9y 6, is a monomial. If a poly-

nomial has two terms, like x 2  4, it is a binomial. A polynomial with three
terms, like 4x 2
4xy  1, is a trinomial.
Expressions like
3 x1
2x 2
5x  , 9
x , and
x x4  5
are not polynomials, because they cannot be written in the form an x n 
an
1x n
1   a1x  a 0, where the exponents are all nonnegative in-
tegers and the coefficients are all real numbers.

Addition and Subtraction

If two terms of an expression have the same variables raised to the same
powers, they are called like terms, or similar terms. We can combine, or
collect, like terms using the distributive property. For example, 3y 2 and
5y 2 are like terms and
3y 2  5y 2
3  5y 2

8y 2.
We add or subtract polynomials by combining like terms.

EXAMPLE 4 Add or subtract each of the following.

a) 
5x  3x
x  12x 3
7x 2  3
3 2

b) 6x 2y 3
9xy
5x 2y 3
4xy

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

BBEPMC0R_0312279093.QXP 12/2/04 2:42 PM Page 19

Section R.3 • Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication of Polynomials 19

Solution
a) 
5x 3  3x 2
x  12x 3
7x 2  3


5x 3  12x 3   3x 2
7x 2 
x  3 Rearranging using
the commutative
and associative
properties


5  12x 3  3
7x 2
x  3 Using the distribu-
tive property

7x 3
4x 2
x  3
b) We can subtract by adding an opposite:
6x 2y 3
9xy
5x 2y 3
4xy

6x 2y 3
9xy  
5x 2y 3  4xy Adding the opposite of
5x2y3
4xy

6x 2y 3
9xy
5x 2y 3  4xy

x 2y 3
5xy . Combining like terms

Multiplication
Multiplication of polynomials is based on the distributive property—for
example,
x  4 x  3
xx  3  4x  3 Using the distributive property

x 2  3x  4x  12 Using the distributive property
two more times

x 2  7x  12. Combining like terms

In general, to multiply two polynomials, we multiply each term of one

by each term of the other and add the products.

EXAMPLE 5 Multiply: 4x 4y
7x 2y  3y 2y
3x 2y.

Solution We have
4x y
7x 2y  3y 2y
3x 2y
4

4x 4y2y
3x 2y
7x 2y2y
3x 2y  3y2y
3x 2y

Using the distributive
property

8x 4y 2
12x 6y 2
14x 2y 2  21x 4y 2  6y 2
9x 2y 2
Using the distributive
property three more times

29x 4y 2
12x 6y 2
23x 2y 2  6y 2. Combining like terms

We can also use columns to organize our work, aligning like terms under
each other in the products.
4x 4y
7x 2y  3y
2y
3x 2y

12x 6y 2  21x 4y 2
9x 2y 2 Multiplying by
3x2y
8x 4y 2
14x 2y 2  6y 2 Multiplying by 2y

12x 6y 2  29x 4y 2
23x 2y 2  6y 2 Adding

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

BBEPMC0R_0312279093.QXP 12/2/04 2:42 PM Page 20

20 Chapter R • Basic Concepts of Algebra

We can find the product of two binomials by multiplying the First

terms, then the Outer terms, then the Inner terms, then the Last terms. Then
we combine like terms, if possible. This procedure is sometimes called FOIL.

EXAMPLE 6 Multiply: 2x
7 3x  4.

Solution We have
F L
F O I L
2x
7 3x  4
6x 2  8x
21x
28

6x 2
13x
28
I
O

We can use FOIL to find some special products.

Special Products of Binomials

A  B2
A2  2AB  B 2 Square of a sum
A
B2
A2
2AB  B 2 Square of a difference
A  B A
B
A
B2 2
Product of a sum and a difference

EXAMPLE 7 Multiply each of the following.

a) 4x  12 b) 3y 2
22 c) x 2  3y x 2
3y
Solution
a) 4x  12
4x2  2 4x 1  12
16x 2  8x  1
b) 3y 2
22
3y 2 2
2 3y 2 2  22
9y 4
12y 2  4
c) x 2  3y x 2
3y
x 2 2
3y2
x 4
9y 2

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

BBEPMC0R_0312279093.QXP 12/2/04 2:42 PM Page 20

20 Chapter R • Basic Concepts of Algebra

R.3 Exercise Set

Determine the terms and the degree of the polynomial. Perform the operations indicated.
1.
5y 4  3y 3  7y 2
y
4
5y 4, 3y 3, 7y 2, 5. 5x 2y
2xy 2  3xy
5 

y ,
4; 4 
2x 2y
3xy 2  4xy  7
2. 2m3
m2
4m  11 2m3,
m2,
4m, 11; 3 3x 2y
5xy 2  7xy  2
6. 6x 2y
3xy 2  5xy
3 

4x 2y
4xy 2  3xy  8
3. 3a4b
7a3b 3  5ab
2 3a 4b,
7a 3b 3, 5ab, 2x 2y
7xy 2  8xy  5

2; 6 7. 2x  3y  z
7  4x
2y
z  8 
4. 6p3q 2
p2q 4
3pq 2  5 6p 3q 2,
p 2q 4,
3pq 2, 
3x  y
2z
4 3x  2y
2z
3
5; 6

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

BBEPMC0R_0312279093.QXP 12/2/04 2:42 PM Page 21

Section R.3 • Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication of Polynomials 21

8. 2x 2  12xy
11  6x 2
2x  4  34. b  4 b
4 b 2
16


x 2
y
2 7x 2  12xy
2x
y
9
35. 2x
5 2x  5 4x 2
25
9. 3x
2x
x  2
5x
8x
x  4
2 3 2 3

2x 2  6x
2 36. 4y
1 4y  1 16y 2
1
10. 5x  4xy
3y  2
9x
4xy  2y
1
2 2 2 2

4x 2  8xy
5y 2  3 37. 3x
2y 3x  2y 9x 2
4y 2
11. x
3x  4x
3x  x
5x  3
4 2 3 2
x 4
3x 3
4x 2  9x
3 38. 3x  5y 3x
5y 9x 2
25y 2
12. 2x
3x  7x
5x  2x
3x  5
4 2 3 2
2x 4
5x 3
5x 2  10x
5 39. 2x  3y  4 2x  3y
4
13. a
b 2a
ab  3b 
3 2 4x 2  12xy  9y 2
16
2a
2a b
a b  4ab
3b
4 3 2 2 3 40. 5x  2y  3 5x  2y
3
14. n  1 n 2
6n
4 n 3
5n 2
10n
4 25x 2  20xy  4y 2
9
41. x  1 x
1 x 2  1 x 4
1
15. x  5 x
3 x 2  2x
15 42.  y
2  y  2  y 2  4 y 4
16
16.  y
4  y  1 y
3y
4
2

17. x  6 x  4 x 2  10x  24 Collaborative Discussion and Writing

18. n
5 n
8 n 2
13n  40 43. Is the sum of two polynomials of degree n always a
polynomial of degree n? Why or why not?
19. 2a  3 a  5 2a 2  13a  15
44. Explain how you would convince a classmate that
20. 3b  1 b
2 3b 2
5b
2 A  B2  A2  B 2.
21. 2x  3y 2x  y 4x 2  8xy  3y 2
22. 2a
3b 2a
b 4a 2
8ab  3b 2 Synthesis
23.  y  52 y 2  10y  25 Multiply. Assume that all exponents are natural
numbers.
24.  y  72 y 2  14y  49
45. an  b n  an
b n  a 2n
b 2n
25. x
42 x 2
8x  16
46. t a  4 t a
7 t 2a
3t a
28
26. a
6 2
a
12a  36
2
47. an  b n 2 a 2n  2a nb n  b 2n
27. 5x
3 2
25x
30x  9
2
48. x 3m
t 5n 2 x 6m
2x 3mt 5n  t 10n
28. 3x
2 2
9x
12x  4
2
49. x
1 x 2  x  1 x 3  1 x 6
1
29. 2x  3y 2
4x  12xy  9y
2 2
50. 2x
12
1 2 16x 4
32x 3  16x 2
30. 5x  2y 2
25x  20xy  4y
2 2
2
b2
51. x a
b ab xa
31. 2x
3y
2 2
4x
12x y  9y
4 2 2
22n 2
52. t mn mn t m
n m
n t 2m
32. 4x 2
5y2 16x 4
40x 2y  25y 2
53. a  b  c2 a 2  b 2  c 2  2ab  2ac  2bc
33. a  3 a
3 a
9 2

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley