Math Problem Statement

Determine whether the following function is a polynomial function. If the function is a polynomial function, state its degree. If it is not, tell why not. Write the polynomial in standard form. Then identify the leading term and the constant term. f(x) = 2x + x^5

Solution

The problem is asking us to analyze the function f(x)=2x+x5f(x) = 2x + x^5 to determine if it is a polynomial function. If it is, we should state its degree, identify the leading term, the constant term, and write it in standard form.

Solution

  1. Determine if it’s a polynomial function:
    A polynomial function is an expression that consists of terms in the form axnax^n, where aa is a coefficient and nn is a non-negative integer. The function f(x)=2x+x5f(x) = 2x + x^5 meets these criteria since it has terms 2x2x and x5x^5 (both with non-negative integer exponents).

  2. Standard Form:
    The standard form of a polynomial arranges terms in descending order of their powers. Thus, we rewrite f(x)=x5+2xf(x) = x^5 + 2x.

  3. Degree of the Polynomial:
    The degree of a polynomial is the highest power of xx. In this case, the highest power is 55, so the degree of this polynomial is 55.

  4. Leading Term:
    The leading term is the term with the highest degree, which is x5x^5.

  5. Constant Term:
    A constant term is a term with no variable attached. Since there is no constant term in f(x)=x5+2xf(x) = x^5 + 2x, the constant term is 00.

Summary

  • Polynomial Function: Yes
  • Standard Form: f(x)=x5+2xf(x) = x^5 + 2x
  • Degree: 5
  • Leading Term: x5x^5
  • Constant Term: 00

Would you like further details or have any questions?


Here are some related questions to explore:

  1. How do we determine if a function is a polynomial?
  2. What are examples of non-polynomial functions?
  3. How do we find the degree of a polynomial with multiple terms?
  4. Why is the highest power term called the "leading term"?
  5. How does the constant term affect the polynomial function graph?

Tip: When writing polynomials in standard form, always order terms by descending powers of xx for clarity.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Polynomial Functions
Standard Form
Degree of Polynomial
Leading Term
Constant Term

Formulas

Standard form of polynomial: terms in descending order of powers

Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12