Constant (mathematics)

In mathematics, the word constant conveys multiple meanings. As an adjective, it refers to non-variance (i.e. unchanging with respect to some other value); as a noun, it has two different meanings:

For example, a general quadratic function is commonly written as:

where a, b and c are constants (coefficients or parameters), and x a variable—a placeholder for the argument of the function being studied. A more explicit way to denote this function is

which makes the function-argument status of x (and by extension the constancy of a, b and c) clear. In this example a, b and c are coefficients of the polynomial. Since c occurs in a term that does not involve x, it is called the constant term of the polynomial and can be thought of as the coefficient of x0. More generally, any polynomial term or expression of degree zero (no variable) is a constant.[3]: 18 

  1. ^ "Definition of CONSTANT". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2021-11-09.
  2. ^ Weisstein, Eric W. "Constant". mathworld.wolfram.com. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  3. ^ Foerster, Paul A. (2006). Algebra and Trigonometry: Functions and Applications, Teacher's Edition (Classics ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-165711-9.