Sjmarf to Math Memes@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish · 4 days agoSimplifyimagemessage-square42fedilinkarrow-up1327arrow-down111
arrow-up1316arrow-down1imageSimplifySjmarf to Math Memes@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish · 4 days agomessage-square42fedilink
minus-squarethreelonmusketeerslinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up8·3 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-up2·3 days agoNo, because each coefficient is its own variable; they’re not constants.
minus-squarethreelonmusketeerslinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up1·edit-22 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.