Linear Sentences in One Variable
Polynomial Functions
A
polynomial function is any function of the form
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where the coefficients a0, a1, a2, …, an are real numbers and n is a whole number. Polynomial functions are evaluated by replacing the variable with a value. The instruction “evaluate the polynomial function P( x) when x is replaced with 4” is written as “find P(4).”
Example 1: If
P(
x)=3
x3 − 2
x2 + 5
x + 3, find
P(−4).
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Example 2: If
f (
x)=3
x2 − 4
x + 5, find
f (
x + h).
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