Which of the following functions is not a polynomial function?
Practice Questions
Q1
Which of the following functions is not a polynomial function?
f(x) = x^2 + 3x + 1
g(x) = 2x^3 - 4
h(x) = sqrt(x)
k(x) = 5
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which of the following functions is not a polynomial function?
Step 1: Understand what a polynomial function is. A polynomial function is a mathematical expression that can be written in the form of a sum of terms, where each term is a constant multiplied by a variable raised to a non-negative integer power.
Step 2: Identify the characteristics of polynomial functions. They can include terms like x^2, 3x, or 5, but not terms like sqrt(x) or x^-1.
Step 3: Look at the function h(x) = sqrt(x). The square root of x can be rewritten as x^(1/2). Since 1/2 is not a whole number, this means h(x) does not fit the definition of a polynomial function.
Step 4: Conclude that h(x) = sqrt(x) is not a polynomial function because it includes a term with a non-integer exponent.
