Monomial, coefficient and degree

The first building block of algebraic calculus is the monomial: a number multiplied by one or more letters. Recognising its two parts — the coefficient and the literal part — and calculating its degree is the starting point for all the operations that follow.

Definition — Monomial

A monomial is an algebraic expression formed by the product of a number (called the coefficient) and one or more letters raised to non-negative integer powers (the literal part).

The degree of a monomial is the sum of the exponents of the letters.

For example, in the monomial $-5a^3b^2$ the coefficient is $-5$, the literal part is $a^3b^2$ and the degree is $3+2=5$.

Links

Topics: Algebraic calculus
Concepts: Coefficient · Degree of a monomial · Monomial · Literal part