Polynomial

In mathematics, a polynomial is an expression constructed from one or more variables (also known as indeterminates) and constants, using the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and raising to constant non-negative integer powers. For example,x^2-4x+7is a polynomial, but x^2-4/x-7x^3/2is not, because its second term involves division by a variable, and also because its third term contains an exponent that is not an integer.
Polynomials are one of the most important concepts in algebra and throughout mathematics and science. They are used to form polynomial equations, which encode a wide range of problems, from elementary story problems to complicated problems in the sciences; they are used to define polynomial functions, which appear in settings ranging from basic chemistry and physics to economics, and are used in calculus and numerical analysis to approximate other functions. Polynomials are used to construct polynomial rings, one of the most powerful concepts in algebra and algebraic geometry.