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→Definition: clarify sentence; arithmetic operations themselves cannot be performed on x (e.g., 2x just stays 2x) |
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A polynomial in a single variable can be written in the form
:<math>a_n x^n + a_{n-1}x^{n-1} + \dotsb + a_2 x^2 + a_1 x + a_0,</math>
where <math>a_0, \ldots, a_n</math> are numbers, or more generally elements of a [[ring (mathematics)|ring]], and <math>x</math> is a symbol which is called [[indeterminate (variable)|indeterminate]] or, for historical reasons, [[variable (mathematics)|variable]]. It should be emphasized that, <math>x</math> does not represent any value, although the usual
This can be expressed more concisely by using [[Capital-sigma_notation#Capital-sigma_notation|summation notation]]:
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