I'm confused about what a polynomial is and what a coefficient of a polynomial is.

Coefficients are the numbers infront of a varible. A polynominal can only use addition, subtraction, multiplication (doesn't have to use all of them). The exponents of a polynominal cannot be negative. Normally they are in the form \(ax^2 + bx +c\) but doesn't have to be.

Examples: x^2 + 2x +5,

5x +1

(x^7 + 2x^4 - 5) * 3x

A polynomial is an expression in one  (ore more) variables

The  exponent on each variable must be a whole number  [ 0, 1, 2, 3....]

The polynomial must have a finite number of terms

Examples

6x^2  +  2x  +  8

(4/5)x^3y^5 + 2y^2  + 3x  -  9/13

The  red entries  are coefficients  [ real numbers associated with each variable term]

The blue  entries  are constants

Thanks everybody!!!