Quartic Function

Definition

A quartic function is a polynomial function of degree four, meaning it has the highest exponent of 4. It can be written in the form f(x) = ax^4 + bx^3 + cx^2 + dx + e.

Analogy

Imagine a quartic function as a roller coaster with four loops. Each loop represents one term in the equation, and the height of each loop corresponds to the coefficient of that term. The overall shape of the roller coaster represents the graph of the quartic function.

Related terms

Polynomial: A polynomial is an algebraic expression consisting of variables and coefficients, combined using addition, subtraction, and multiplication operations.

Degree: The degree of a polynomial is determined by the highest exponent on its variable(s). In this case, quartic functions have a degree of four.

Coefficient: Coefficients are numbers multiplied by variables in a polynomial. In a quartic function, there are five coefficients (a, b, c, d, e) corresponding to each term.