Question

How can you easily tell how many roots a polynomial will have just by looking at the equation?

Answer 1

look at the sign changes?

Answer 2

Look at the highest degree of the polynmoial.

Answer 3

so 2x^5 - 3x^3 + x^2 - 8 = 0 will have 5 roots.

Answer 4

so the highest degree is the number of roots? if it's a quadratic it has 2, cubic has 3, and so on?

Answer 5

yes, but you add all the expressions together as in this 2x^4+sx^3+2x would be 8 degrees

Answer 6

@HelennnnnnC Yes.

Answer 7

@captaintrololol The degree of the polynomial I gave earlier (in my last post) is of degree 5.

Answer 8

i was thinking about descartes rule >.<

Answer 9

http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/fundamental-theorem-algebra.html