Question

Which of the following expressions are polynomials in one variable and which are not? State reasons for your answer.

(i) y + (2/y)

(ii) x¹⁰ + y³ + t⁵⁰

Answer 1

(i) y + (2/y)

No. No. It can be observed that the exponent of variable y in term 2/y is -1,which is not a whole number. Therefore, this expression is not a polynomial.

(ii) x¹⁰ + y³ + t⁵⁰

No. It can be observed that this expression is a polynomial in 3 variables x, y, and t. Therefore, it is not a polynomial in one variable.