Polynomial Functions

Many common functions are polynomial functions. In this unit we describe polynomial functions and look at some of their properties. In order to master the techniques explained here it is vital that you undertake plenty of practice exercises so that they become second nature. After reading this text, and/or viewing the video tutorial on this topic, you should be able to: • recognise when a rule describes a polynomial function, and write down the degree of the polynomial, • recognize the typical shapes of the graphs of polynomials, of degree up to 4, • understand what is meant by the multiplicity of a root of a polynomial, • sketch the graph of a polynomial, given its expression as a product of linear factors.