What is the degree of the Polynomial #3-4z^4 w^8u^6 7u^9zw^8#?

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Answer 1 · 2015-12-17T22:25:54

The greatest sum of exponents of each of the terms, namely:

#4+8+6+9+1+8=36#

This polynomial has two terms (unless there is a missing #+# or #-# before the #7u^9zw^8# as I suspect).

The first term has no variables and is therefore of degree #0#.

The second term has degree #4+8+6+9+1+8=36#, which being greater than #0# is the degree of the polynomial.

Note that if your polynomial should have been something like:

#3-4z^4w^8u^6+7u^9zw^8#

then the degree would be the maximum of the degrees of the terms:

#0#

#4+8+6 = 18#

#9+1+8 = 18#

so the degree of the polynomial would be #18#