Simplifying Polynomial Expressions
In mathematics, simplifying polynomial expressions involves combining like terms to make the expression easier to understand and work with. Let's look at an example:
(6x + 4x⁴ - 3x²) + (7x⁴ + 5x² + 8x)
1. Identify Like Terms:
- x⁴ terms: 4x⁴ and 7x⁴
- x² terms: -3x² and 5x²
- x terms: 6x and 8x
2. Combine Like Terms:
- x⁴ terms: 4x⁴ + 7x⁴ = 11x⁴
- x² terms: -3x² + 5x² = 2x²
- x terms: 6x + 8x = 14x
3. Write the Simplified Expression:
By combining the like terms, we get the simplified expression:
11x⁴ + 2x² + 14x
Therefore, the simplified form of (6x + 4x⁴ - 3x²) + (7x⁴ + 5x² + 8x) is 11x⁴ + 2x² + 14x.