Question

Which of the following types of functions could NOT also be considered a polynomial function?

a) Linear function
b) Quadratic function
c) Exponential function
d) Cubic function

Answer 1

An exponential function cannot be considered a polynomial function because it has a different structure, with the variable in the exponent rather than the base.

Step-by-step explanation:

The type of function that could NOT also be considered a polynomial function among the options given is the exponential function. Polynomial functions are algebraic expressions that consist of terms in the form of ax^n where 'a' is a coefficient and 'n' is a non-negative integer. Examples include:

• Linear function: V = al (first-order polynomial)
• Quadratic function: V = al + bl² (second-order polynomial)
• Cubic function: V = al + bl² + c (third-order polynomial)

On the other hand, an exponential function has the form f(x) = ab^x where 'b' is a base that is a positive real number not equal to 1, and 'x' is the exponent, which can be any real number. This structure differs from that of polynomials.