Birlik international School

Grade 10 Mathematics

TERM 3

POLYNOMIALS
POLYNOMIALS

In this section we will start looking at polynomials. 

Polynomial comes from poly- (meaning "many") and -nomial (in this

case meaning "term") ... so it says "many terms"

A polynomial looks like this:

example of a polynomial
this one has 3 terms.
POLYNOMIALS
A polynomial can have:

 constants (like 3, −20, or ½)
 variables (like x and y)
 exponents (like the 2 in y2), but only 0, 1, 2, 3, ... etc are allowed

that can be combined using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division ...

... except ...

... not division by a variable (so something like is right out)

So:

A polynomial can have constants, variables and non-negative integers as

exponents, but never division by a variable.

Also they can have one or more terms, but not an infinite number of terms.
POLYNOMIALS
Polynomial or Not?

These are polynomials: These are not polynomials:

o 3x
o x–2

o 5
POLYNOMIALS
Monomial, Binomial, Trinomial
There are special names for polynomials with 1, 2 or 3 terms:

Degree

 The degree of a polynomial with only one variable is the largest exponent of that variable.

Example:
The Degree is 3 (the largest exponent of x)

 The degree of a polynomial with more than one variable is the found by adding the exponents
of the variables in each term. The largest sum is the degree the polynomial.
POLYNOMIALS
Degree
Example:
what is the degree of this polynomial?

Checking each term:

The largest degree of those is 3 (in fact two terms have a degree of 3), so the polynomial
has a degree of 3
ADDING, SUBTRACTING AND MULTIPLYING POLYNOMIALS

Adding Polynomials
Two Steps:

 Place like terms together
 Add the like terms
ADDING, SUBTRACTING AND MULTIPLYING POLYNOMIALS

Subtracting Polynomials
To subtract Polynomials, first reverse the sign of each term we are subtracting (in other words
turn "+" into "-", and "-" into "+"), then add as usual.

Like this:
 ADDING, SUBTRACTING AND MULTIPLYING POLYNOMIALS

Multiplying Polynomials
To multiply two polynomials:

 multiply each term in one polynomial by each term in the other polynomial

 add those answers together, and simplify if needed

Examples:
 ADDING, SUBTRACTING AND MULTIPLYING POLYNOMIALS

Multiplying Polynomials
More example
ADDING, SUBTRACTING AND MULTIPLYING POLYNOMIALS

Special products
ADDING, SUBTRACTING AND MULTIPLYING POLYNOMIALS

Special products (continued)

DIVIDING POLYNOMIALS

Dividing by a constant
Sometimes it is easy to divide a polynomial by splitting it at the "+" and "−" signs, like this

Dividing by a monomial
Here is another, slightly more complicated, example:

Note: the result is a valid answer but is not a polynomial, because the last term (1/3x) has
division by a variable (x).
DIVIDING POLYNOMIALS

Dividing by a binomial
Sometimes it helps to rearrange the top polynomial before dividing, as in this example:

Simplifying algebraic fractions

To simplify algebraic fractions that involve trinomials and binomials we factorize the numerator
and the denominator then cancel out common factors in the numerator and the denominator.

the result is a valid answer but is not a polynomial

DIVIDING POLYNOMIALS

Simplifying algebraic fractions (continued)

We can also simplify algebraic fraction by using special products.

( 𝑎+ 𝑏 )2=𝑎2 +2 𝑎𝑏+𝑏2 ( 𝑎 − 𝑏 )2=𝑎 2 −2 𝑎𝑏+𝑏 2 ( 𝑎+ 𝑏 ) ( 𝑎 −𝑏 )= 𝑎2 −𝑏 2

Example: Solution:
Simplify the following

(a)

(b)

(b)
 TASK
Solve the exercises in google form.
THE END