Laurent polynomial

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In mathematics, a Laurent polynomial (named after Pierre Alphonse Laurent) in one variable
over a field is a linear combination of positive and negative powers of the variable with
coefficients in . Laurent polynomials in X form a ring denoted [X, X−1].[1] They differ from
ordinary polynomials in that they may have terms of negative degree. The construction of
Laurent polynomials may be iterated, leading to the ring of Laurent polynomials in several
variables. Laurent polynomials are of particular importance in the study of complex variables.

Definition

A Laurent polynomial with coefficients in a field is an expression of the form

where X is a formal variable, the summation index k is an integer (not necessarily positive) and
only finitely many coefficients pk are non-zero. Two Laurent polynomials are equal if their
coefficients are equal. Such expressions can be added, multiplied, and brought back to the
same form by reducing similar terms. Formulas for addition and multiplication are exactly the
same as for the ordinary polynomials, with the only difference that both positive and negative
powers of X can be present:

and

Since only finitely many coefficients ai and bj are non-zero, all sums in effect have only finitely
many terms, and hence represent Laurent polynomials.

Properties

A Laurent polynomial over C may be viewed as a Laurent series in which only finitely many
coefficients are non-zero.
 The ring of Laurent polynomials R[X, X−1] is an extension of the polynomial ring R[X]
obtained by "inverting X". More rigorously, it is the localization of the polynomial ring in the
multiplicative set consisting of the non-negative powers of X. Many properties of the Laurent
polynomial ring follow from the general properties of localization.

The ring of Laurent polynomials is a subring of the rational functions.

The ring of Laurent polynomials over a field is Noetherian (but not Artinian).

If R is an integral domain, the units of the Laurent polynomial ring R[X, X−1] have the form
uXk, where u is a unit of R and k is an integer. In particular, if K is a field then the units of K[X,
X−1] have the form aXk, where a is a non-zero element of K.

The Laurent polynomial ring R[X, X−1] is isomorphic to the group ring of the group Z of
integers over R. More generally, the Laurent polynomial ring in n variables is isomorphic to
the group ring of the free abelian group of rank n. It follows that the Laurent polynomial ring
can be endowed with a structure of a commutative, cocommutative Hopf algebra.

See also

Jones polynomial

References

Lang, Serge (2002), Algebra, Graduate Texts in Mathematics, 211 (Revised third ed.), New
York: Springer-Verlag, ISBN 978-0-387-95385-4, MR 1878556
1. Weisstein, Eric W. "Laurent Polynomial" . MathWorld.