4: Polynomial Functions
- Page ID
- 83702
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Inverse functions make it possible to convert from one file format to another. In this chapter, we will learn about these concepts and discover how mathematics can be used in such applications.
- 4.1: Prelude to Polynomial Functions
- Digital photography has dramatically changed the nature of photography. No longer is an image etched in the emulsion on a roll of film. Instead, nearly every aspect of recording and manipulating images is now governed by mathematics. An image becomes a series of numbers, representing the characteristics of light striking an image sensor. When we open an image file, software on a camera or computer interprets the numbers and converts them to a visual image.
- 4.2: Quadratic Functions
- In this section, we will investigate quadratic functions, which frequently model problems involving area and projectile motion. Working with quadratic functions can be less complex than working with higher degree functions, so they provide a good opportunity for a detailed study of function behavior.
- 4.3: Regression
- In this section, we use some basic tools from statistical analysis to quantify linear and quadratic trends that we may see in real world data in order to generate linear and quadratic models. Our goal is to give the reader an understanding of the basic processes involved, but we are quick to refer the reader to a more advanced course for a complete exposition of this material.
- 4.4: Power Functions and Polynomial Functions
- Suppose a certain species of bird thrives on a small island. The population can be estimated using a polynomial function. We can use this model to estimate the maximum bird population and when it will occur. We can also use this model to predict when the bird population will disappear from the island. In this section, we will examine functions that we can use to estimate and predict these types of changes.
- 4.5: Graphs of Polynomial Functions
- The revenue in millions of dollars for a fictional cable company can be modeled by the polynomial function From the model one may be interested in which intervals the revenue for the company increase or decreases? These questions, along with many others, can be answered by examining the graph of the polynomial function. We have already explored the local behavior of quadratics, a special case of polynomials. In this section we will explore the local behavior of polynomials in general.
- 4.6: Zeros of Polynomial Functions
- In the last section, we learned how to divide polynomials. We can now use polynomial division to evaluate polynomials using the Remainder Theorem. If the polynomial is divided by \(x–k\), the remainder may be found quickly by evaluating the polynomial function at \(k\), that is, \(f(k)\).
Thumbnail: Identifying the behavior of the graph at an x-intercept by examining the multiplicity of the zero.
Contributors and Attributions
Jay Abramson (Arizona State University) with contributing authors. Textbook content produced by OpenStax College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 license. Download for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/precalculus.