Which term describes a polynomial with degree 2?

Which term describes a polynomial with degree 2?

• A. Quadratic
• B. Exponential function
• C. Logarithmic function
• D. Control structure

Answer: (A)

A polynomial of degree 2 is called quadratic. The degree is the highest power of the variable with a nonzero coefficient, so when that highest power is 2, the polynomial is second-degree and typically written as ax^2 + bx + c with a ≠ 0. Quadratic polynomials graph as parabolas, opening upward if a is positive and downward if a is negative. The other terms don’t describe this type of function: exponential functions have the variable in the exponent, logarithmic functions involve the log of the variable, and a control structure is a programming concept, not a mathematical function.

A polynomial of degree 2 is called quadratic. The degree is the highest power of the variable with a nonzero coefficient, so when that highest power is 2, the polynomial is second-degree and typically written as ax^2 + bx + c with a ≠ 0. Quadratic polynomials graph as parabolas, opening upward if a is positive and downward if a is negative. The other terms don’t describe this type of function: exponential functions have the variable in the exponent, logarithmic functions involve the log of the variable, and a control structure is a programming concept, not a mathematical function.