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In mathematics, a constant term (sometimes referred to as a free term) is a term in an algebraic expression that does not contain any variables and therefore is constant. For example, in the quadratic polynomial, + +, The number 3 is a constant term. [1]
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 x 0. More generally, any polynomial term or expression of degree zero (no variable) is a constant. [5]: 18
For example, the constant π may be defined as the ratio of the length of a circle's circumference to its diameter. The following list includes a decimal expansion and set containing each number, ordered by year of discovery. The column headings may be clicked to sort the table alphabetically, by decimal value, or by set.
The third term 1.5 is the constant coefficient. In the final term, the coefficient is 1 and is not explicitly written. In many scenarios, coefficients are numbers (as is the case for each term of the previous example), although they could be parameters of the problem—or any expression in these parameters.
The constant π (pi) has a natural definition in Euclidean geometry as the ratio between the circumference and diameter of a circle. It may be found in many other places in mathematics: for example, the Gaussian integral, the complex roots of unity, and Cauchy distributions in probability. However, its ubiquity is not limited to pure mathematics.
In printed mathematics, the norm is to set variables and constants in an italic typeface. [20] For example, a general quadratic function is conventionally written as ax 2 + bx + c, where a, b and c are parameters (also called constants, because they are constant functions), while x is the variable of the function.
For example, the atomic mass constant is exactly known when expressed using the dalton (its value is exactly 1 Da), but the kilogram is not exactly known when using these units, the opposite of when expressing the same quantities using the kilogram.
In mathematics, a linear equation is an equation that may be put in the form + … + + =, where , …, are the variables (or unknowns), and ,, …, are the coefficients, which are often real numbers. The coefficients may be considered as parameters of the equation and may be arbitrary expressions , provided they do not contain any of the variables.