Algebra Tutorial Polynomials

There are monomials and polynomial.

An expression like y = 4x is a monomial.
In binomial we have two terms: y= (x+a) is binomial.
Note here that x has the exponent 1 and a is equal to:
a = a.x^0
Here a appears as a constant,but it is alsoa term of the form:
x^n ,that is, x raised to the power of n where n is equal to zero.
In Algebra, zero is taken as a positive integer.!

Then what is a polynomial?

A Polynomial is a sum of monomilas or terms of the form:
x^n [x raised to the power 'n']
where n is a postive integer.
n' can be zero, 1 2,3 and so on.
Note that n can not be negative:
Thus y = 1/x +2 is not polynomial
y= X^1/2 or y= square root of x
cannot be a term in a polynomial.

In general, we write: Y= ao + a1.x + a2.x^2+ a3.x^3 + ………… anX^n

The degree of a polyomial is the highest power n in the sum.

Thus Y= 4x^3 + 2X+3 is of degree 3.
Y= 3x^4 + 2x^2 -3 is of degree 4
The numbers before the x variables are called Coefficients"
Thus here 3,2,-3 are the coefficients.
Note that the coefficients can be negative or fractions.
The coefficient of the highest degree term is called the
leading coefficient.'

Now we are ready to learn how to manipulate and use the polynomials.

A practical Example
The selling price S of an item decreases with demand,D
S = a - bD
where a and b are constants.
Assume that all the demand for the item is met and sold.
Then Revenue R = S.D= D.(a-bD)
R= aD - bD^2
Here we have apolynomial of degree 2
A quadratic expression.!
`
Sum & Difference of Polynomial
We can add two polynomials by adding
coefficients of like powers:
y= 2x^2 + 3x -4
Y = 3x^2 -2
 Add these two polynomials:
y+Y = 2x^2 +3 x^2 + 3x -4-2
(2+3)x^2 + 3x - 6
5x^2 + 3x -6

Try this:
y= -2X^4 + 2x^3 - 3x^2 -4x +2
Y= 3X^4 +2x^2 -3x +1
You can write the like powers one below the other like a tableau:

y= -2x^4+ 2x^3 - 3x^2 - 4x+2

Y=3X^4 -2x^2-3x
2 -3x +1
y+Y= (-2+3) X^4+2X^3 + (-3-2)x^2 + (-4-3)+ (2+1)

y+Y= x^4 + 2x^3 -5 x^2 -7x +3

Difference is obtained by taking the algebraic difference of coefficients of like terms:

y = 3x^3 - 2x^2 + 4x -4
Y= 2x^3 +3x^2 - 2x +2
y - Y = (3-2) x^3 + (-2 -3)x^2 + (4 +2)x -4 -2
y - Y = x^3 -5 x^2 +6 x -6

Evaluating a polynomial Find the value' of a polynomial for a particular value of

the variable;
1 Evaluate the polynimial at x =2: y = 3.x^2 +4x +2
y= 3x2x2 + 4x2 +2
y=22
2 Evaluate the polynomial at x = -1: y= 2x^3 + x^2 - 3x +1
y= 2(-1) + (-1)^2 -3(-1) +1
3 Find the height of a rocket at time t in seconds when t= 4 seconds:

h= -16 t.t + 120 t + 50 = -256 + 480 + 50 = -256 + 530 = 274 feet

1 Volume of a cylinder is: V = 2x pi x r x h

where pi = 3.14 r is radius and height h
John makes two cyclinders: onw with h = 4 x radius and another with h = 3 xradius
Find the total volume with radius as the variable.
Cylinder1: V1 = 2 x 3.14 x 4 x radius x radius
V2 = 2 x 3.14 x 3 x radius x radius
V1 + V2 = 6.28 ( 4+3 ) radius^2
V = 6.28 x 7 x r ^2 where r is the radius.

2 The density of Ozone over

over atwon
a towninincanada
Canadawas
wasmeasured
measured
in spring
in and
two autumn
seasons:and expressed as quad

D(h) = -0.058 h,h + 2.86 h - 24. 24 [autumn] where h is height in km]

D (h) = -0.078 h.h + 3.81 h -32.43 [spring]
Find the avarage for a year.
[Hint; add the two polynomilas and dvide by two, term by term.
 For spring and autumn to gether: D
D (h
(h)) = -0.0136
0.0136
h.hh.h + 6.67 h - 56.67
Average value: D (h) = 0.0068 h.h + 3.38h - 28.33

3 The height of a July 4th rocket is given by:

h = (-g/2) t.t + v t + s
where h is the height, v-initial velocity and s initial height.
The rocket is fired from the roof of building atheight
heightof40100
feetfeet.
initial velocity
ity = 20
144feet /second
g--accleelration due to gravity [from your physic lessons] is 32 ft/s.s

height in feet h = -16 t.t + 144 t + 100

Find the height for various times till it reaches the ground.
Setting h =0 16t.t - 144t - 100 = 0
4t.t - 36t -25 =0

Let us from a small table and approximate the solution first:

t y = 4.t^2 - 36t
36t25
- 25
1 -57
2 -81
3 -97 Height vs time
4 -105
105
5 -105 100
6 -97 95
7 -81 90
8 -57 85
9 -25 80
10 15 75
Height (feet)

70
65
Now let us write t h h
60
1 57
55
2 81 50
3 97 45
4 105 40
5 105 35
6 97 30
7 81 25
8 57 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
9 25 Time (seconds)
Let us plot the curve of h against t
What do you see? -- A symmetrical curve..the rocket's height increases and then decreases.
What is the maximum height of the rocket?
It is between four and five seconds.
Let us take t= 4.5 seconds.
h = - 16t.t +144t +100 = 424 feet.

Product of Polynomials

1 Take two polynomials y= 3xx -2

z= 2x
product yxz = 2x(3xx -2) using distributive property
6xxx - 4x
2 Find the product: y = x+1
z= 2xx - 3x+3
y.z = (x+1)(2xx - 3x+3)
y.z = x(2xx - 3x +3) + 1 ( 2xx - 3x +3)
y.z= 2x.x.x -3x.x +3x +2xx -3x +3
y.z= 2xxx-xx+3

We can use the tableau method for long multiplications:

2xx - 3x+ 3
x+ 1
-------------------------------------------------------------
Multiply first with x: 2xxx - 3x.x + 3x
Multiply with 1 2xx- 3x 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Add the two: 2xxx - xx 0 3
---------------------------------------------------------------

Try the following:

(x-1) ( 2xx + 3x -2)
(2x+1) ( 2xxx - 3xx +2)
(2x-1) ( xxx +2xx -3x +1)
(xx + 2x -3)(2xx =3x -2)

Division of Polynomials This may be tricky…let us proceed slowly.

Try to simplify the numerator and denominator first ,if you can.
Let us a few examples:

1 Simplify x.x + 5x+6

---------------
x +3

Factoring the Nr: (x+3)(x+2) (x+2)

---------------
x+ 3

2 Simplify Y= (xx - 6x +9) ( x-2)

-------------------------
(xx - 4)
Simplify Nr: (x-3)(x-3) (x-2)
Simplify Dr: (x+2) (x-2)

Y= (x- 3)(x-3)/(x+2)

3 Simplify: Y= xx + 4x +4
-----------------
xx-x-6

Y= (x+2)(x+2)
---------------
(x-3)(x+2)

Y= (x+2)/(x-3)
4 Simplify Y= (x.x -25) Y= (x+5)(x-5)
---------------- ---------------
(xx+7x +10) (x+5)(x+2)

Y= (x-5)/(x+2)

5 Simplify: Y= xxx+5xx+6x
---------------------
(x+3)

Y= x(xx+5x+6) Y= x(x+3)(x+2)
--------------- ----------------
(x+3) x+3
Y= x(x+2)

Do it Yoursel Exercises

1 Simplify: (x+3)(x.x-3x+2)
2 Simplify: (x-2)(xx =3x -3)
3 Simplify (x+3) (x-2) (x.x -x -6)

4 Simplify (x.x +7x+12)

-----------------
(x+3)

5 Simplify (xx +x-12)(x-3)

--------------------
(xx-6x+9)

6 Simplify (xxx + 3xx +2x)

---------------------
(x+2)

7 The deer population in an island follows the equation:

p(t) = -t^4 +21t.t +100 where t is in years.
Find when the population may become extinct.
[Hint: Solve for p(t) = 0]
Plot the graph for t upto 6 years.
cular value of
s time

6 7 8 9
conds)

then decreases.