Degree
When using the term "quadratic polynomial", authors sometimes mean "having degree exactly 2", and sometimes "having degree at most 2". If the degree is less than 2, this may be called a "degenerate case". Usually the context will establish which of the two is meant.
Sometimes the word "order" is used with the meaning of "degree", e.g. a second-order polynomial.
Read more about this topic: Quadratic Polynomial
Famous quotes containing the word degree:
“Never before has a civilization reached such a degree of a contempt for life; never before has a generation, drowned in mortification, felt such a rage to live.”
—Raoul Vaneigem (b. 1934)
“In considering the ledger equal, understand the greatest gift you have given your parents is the opportunity to raise you. The things a child gets from parents can’t compare to the things a parent gets from raising a child. Only by experiencing this can you understand the degree to which children give meaning to parents’ lives.”
—Frank Pittman (20th century)
“The degree of tolerance attainable at any moment depends on the strain under which society is maintaining its cohesion.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)