Sjmarf@sh.itjust.works to Math Memes@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish · 5 days agoSimplifysh.itjust.worksimagemessage-square42fedilinkarrow-up1318arrow-down110
arrow-up1308arrow-down1imageSimplifysh.itjust.worksSjmarf@sh.itjust.works to Math Memes@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish · 5 days agomessage-square42fedilink
minus-squarethreelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up8·4 days agoCouldn’t you combine a lot of like terms as you went along, though? A polynomial of the order x26 would only have 27 terms.
minus-squareLostXOR@fedia.iolinkfedilinkarrow-up2·4 days agoNo, because each coefficient is its own variable; they’re not constants.
minus-squarethreelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up1·edit-23 days agoHuh, I’m so used to polynomials being in the form ax^2 + bx + c that I never considered that every letter might be a variable.
Couldn’t you combine a lot of like terms as you went along, though? A polynomial of the order x26 would only have 27 terms.
No, because each coefficient is its own variable; they’re not constants.
Huh, I’m so used to polynomials being in the form ax^2 + bx + c that I never considered that every letter might be a variable.