The relationship between the degree of a polynomial, its zeros, and its factors can be summarized by the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra. Here’s a breakdown of how these concepts relate:
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Degree of a Polynomial: The degree of a polynomial is the highest power of the variable in the polynomial. For example, in the polynomial \(f(x) = 2x^3 - 5x^2 + 4x - 1\), the degree is 3 because the highest exponent of \(x\) is 3.
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Zeros of a Polynomial: The zeros (or roots) of a polynomial are the values of \(x\) for which the polynomial evaluates to zero, i.e., \(f(x) = 0\). According to the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra, a polynomial of degree \(n\) will have exactly \(n\) roots (counting multiplicities) in the complex number system.
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Factors of a Polynomial: Every polynomial can be factored into linear factors corresponding to its zeros. For each zero \(r_i\) of the polynomial, there is a corresponding linear factor of the form \((x - r_i)\). Therefore, a polynomial of degree \(n\) can be expressed as: \[ f(x) = a_n(x - r_1)(x - r_2)...(x - r_n) \] where \(r_1, r_2, ..., r_n\) are the zeros and \(a_n\) is a non-zero constant.
In summary, for a polynomial of degree \(n\):
- It has \(n\) roots (counting multiplicities).
- It can be factored into \(n\) linear factors, assuming we are working over the complex numbers.
This creates a direct relationship where the degree of the polynomial informs us of the number of zeros and factors associated with it.