Question

Cory writes the polynomial x7 3x5 3x 1. Melissa writes the polynomial x7 5x 10. Is there a difference between the degree of the sum and the degree of the difference of the polynomials?.

Answer 1

Degree of a polynomial gives the highest power of its terms. Yes there is a difference between the degrees of sum and difference of the polynomials.

What is degree of a polynomial?

Degree of a polynomial is the highest power that its terms pertain(for multi-variables, the power of term is addition of power of variables in that term).

Thus, in $x^3 + 3x^2 + 5$, the degree of the polynomial is 3 as the highest power in its terms is 3.

(power and exponent are same thing)

What are like terms?

Those terms which have same variables raised with same powers.

For example, $x^3$ and $3x^3$  are like terms since variable is same, and it is raised to same power 3.

For example $4x^2$ and $x^3$ are not like terms as the variables are same but powers aren't same.

The given polynomials are:

$c(x) = x^7 + 3x^5 + 3x + 1\\\\p(x) = x^7 + 5x + 10$

Their sum is

$c(x) + p(x) = x^7 + 3x^5 + 3x + 1 + x^7 + 5x + 10 = (1+1)x^7 + 3x^5 + (3+5)x + 11\\\\c(x) + p(x) = 2x^7 + 3x^5 + 8x + 11$

(only like terms' coefficients can be added (or subtracted) for addition or subtraction of them )

The sum's degree is 7

Their difference is:

$c(x) - p(x) = x^7 + 3x^5 + 3x + 1 - x^7 -5x - 10 = (1-1)x^7 + 3x^5 +(3-5)x -9\\\\c(x) - p(x) = 3x^5 - 2x - 9$

Difference's degree is 5

Thus, both's degrees are not same.

Thus, Yes there is a difference between the degrees of sum and difference of the polynomials.

Learn more about subtraction of polynomials here:

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