Symbolics > Working with Symbolics > To Find the Coefficients of a Polynomial
To Find the Coefficients of a Polynomial
1. Place the cursor at the end of the polynomial, insert the symbolic evaluation operator, and type the keyword coeffs in the placeholder.
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The first entry of the vector is 0 because the constant term of the polynomial is 0.
2. Use modifier degree after coeffs to return a second column containing the exponents corresponding to each coefficient.
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3. Type a polynomial that contains more than one variable, type a comma after coeffs, followed by the variable with respect to which you want the coefficients expressed.
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PTC Mathcad returns a vector containing the coefficients of the polynomial.
If all the exponents are positive, then the first element of the vector corresponds to the constant term.
If all exponents are negative, then the last element corresponds to the constant term.
If the exponents are both positive and negative, then PTC Mathcad returns the coefficients for the smallest exponent to the largest, in order, with zeros for any skipped exponents in the expression, and always including the constant term.
4. Type a polynomial that contains more than one variable, type a comma after collect, followed by the variable with respect to which you want the coefficients expressed.
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For an expression containing several variables, the results is a polynomial in the variable that you specify after coeffs. This is similar to the operation that keyword collect performs.
5. Type a polynomial that contains more than one variable, type a comma after coeffs, followed by the variable with respect to which you want the coefficients expressed.
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The coefficients that PTC Mathcad returns are expressions involving the variables other than the one you specify, so if you specify variable y the result will be in terms of the other variables.
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