Degree (mathematics) facts for kids

The degree of a polynomial , represented by the symbol , is the highest exponent that occurs inside that polynomial.

For example, if we look at the polynomial , then we can see that the degree of this polynomial is 3, because the highest power in the variable x is 3. It occurs in the term .

The name of the variable is not important. For example, the polynomial has degree 5, because the highest power of the variable, in this case y, is 5, which occurs in the term .

Related pages

• Fundamental theorem of algebra, a theorem which states that a polynomial of degree n has n complex roots.