High School

What are the leading coefficient and degree of the polynomial [tex]23x - 18x^9 + 7x^7 + 9[/tex]?

Leading coefficient: [tex]-18[/tex]

Degree: [tex]9[/tex]

Answer :

To solve this problem, we need to identify the leading coefficient and the degree of the polynomial: [tex]\(23x - 18x^9 + 7x^7 + 9\)[/tex].

1. Determine the Degree of the Polynomial:
- The degree of a polynomial is the highest power of the variable [tex]\(x\)[/tex] present in the expression.
- In the polynomial [tex]\(23x - 18x^9 + 7x^7 + 9\)[/tex], the term with the highest power of [tex]\(x\)[/tex] is [tex]\(-18x^9\)[/tex].
- Therefore, the degree of the polynomial is 9.

2. Find the Leading Coefficient:
- The leading coefficient is the coefficient of the term with the highest degree.
- Since [tex]\(-18x^9\)[/tex] is the term with the highest degree of 9, the coefficient of this term is [tex]\(-18\)[/tex].
- Thus, the leading coefficient is [tex]\(-18\)[/tex].

In conclusion:
- The leading coefficient of the polynomial is [tex]\(-18\)[/tex].
- The degree of the polynomial is 9.