Final answer:
Polynomials are mathematical expressions that consist of variables, coefficients, and exponents. They are composed of terms that are added or subtracted together. Each term in a polynomial must have a non-negative integer exponent.
Step-by-step explanation:
Polynomials are mathematical expressions that consist of variables, coefficients, and exponents. They are composed of terms that are added or subtracted together. Each term in a polynomial must have a non-negative integer exponent and only contain operations of addition and subtraction.
For example, the expression x^2 - 3x + 4 is a polynomial because it consists of three terms with non-negative integer exponents and contains only addition and subtraction operations. On the other hand, the expression 2x^(1/2) - 3 is not a polynomial because it contains a term with a fractional exponent, which violates the rules of polynomials.
Therefore, it is important to check whether an expression follows the rules of polynomials to determine whether it can be considered as a polynomial.