The sum of the exponents in any term gives the degree of the term. If all terms are degree 1 or less, then the function is linear.
A term without a variable is understood to have a variable with exponent 0 (any real number to the zero power is 1). A variable that has no exponent is assumed to have an exponent of 1. Note: a term like is NOT linear because each of the variables in the term has an exponent of 1 and the sum, in this case, is 2.
John
My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it
