If it just contains one letter variable, then you just look
for the largest exponent, like this one:
has the degree 8 because it just has one letter and the
biggest exponent is on the term .
has degree 6 because this one has two letters x and y, and when that
is the case you have to add the exponents together. In the term
the exponent of x is 1 understood like this
and the sum of the exponents in that term is 1+5 or 6.
has degree 1 because the term is the same as
A polynomial can just have one term:
has degree 16
Even a single number can be considered to be a polynomial.
The number can be considered to be a polynomial. It has
degree 0 because can be written as since
is just 1.
Edwin
