ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

Definition of Terms
In the algebraic expression 3x – x + 5, 3x , -x and 5
2 2

are called the terms. Term is a constant, a variable or

a product of constant and variable.
In the term 3x , 3 is called the numerical coefficient
2

and x is called the literal coefficient.

2

In the term –x has a numerical coefficient which is -1

and a literal coefficient which is x. The term 5 is
called the constant, which is usually referred to as
the term without a variable.
Numerical coefficient is the constant/number.
Literal coefficient is the variable including its
exponent.
The word Coefficient alone is referred to as the
numerical coefficient. In the literal coefficient x , x
2

is called the base and 2 is called the exponent.

Degree is the highest exponent or the highest sum of
exponents of the variables in a term. In 3x – x + 5,
2

the degree is 2. In 3x y 3 – x 4 y 3 the degree is 7.

2

Similar Terms are terms having the same literal

coefficients. 3x2 and -5x2 are similar because their
literal coefficients are the same. 5x and 5x2 are NOT
similar because their literal coefficients are NOT the
same. 2x3 y 2 and –4x2 y 3 are NOT similar because
their literal coefficients are NOT the same.
A polynomial is a kind of algebraic expression
where each term is a constant, a variable or a product
of a constant and variable in which the variable has a
whole number (non-negative number) exponent. A
polynomial can be a monomial, binomial, trinomial
or a multinomial.
An algebraic expression is NOT a polynomial if
1) the exponent of the variable is NOT a whole
number {0, 1, 2, 3..}.
2) the variable is inside the radical sign.
3) the variable is in the denominator.

Kinds of Polynomial according to the number of terms

1) Monomial – is a polynomial with only one term
2) Binomial – is polynomial with two terms
3) Trinomial – is a polynomial with three terms
4) Polynomial – is a polynomial with four or more
terms
Fill in the blank:
EXPRESSION NUMERICA LITERAL BASE HIGHEST KINDS CONST-
L COEF- COEFICIEN EXPONENT OF POLY- ANT
FICIENT T NOMIAL
1. 2x -2
2
2.5x -2x-3
3

3.-y +2y
7

4. 5x -2y-8
3

5. 6x +y-4
3