Question 256308
<pre>
If it just contains one letter variable, then you just look
for the largest exponent, like this one:

{{{6x^7-3x^2+2x^8-6x^3+7x+4-7x^5}}}

has the degree 8 because it just has one letter and the 
biggest exponent is on the term {{{""+2x^8}}}.

{{{7x^3y^2-9x2^y-4xy^5+7x^5-5y^5}}}

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 
{{{-4xy^5}}} the exponent of x is 1 understood like this {{{-4x^1y^5}}}
and the sum of the exponents in that term is 1+5 or 6.

{{{5+x}}} has degree 1 because the term {{{""+x}}} is the same as
{{{""+x^1}}}

A polynomial can just have one term:

{{{3x^7y^9}}} has degree 16

Even a single number can be considered to be a polynomial.

The number {{{2}}} can be considered to be a polynomial.  It has 
degree 0 because {{{2}}} can be written as {{{2x^0}}} since {{{x^0}}} 
is just 1.

Edwin</pre>