- #1
Mr Davis 97
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Homework Statement
Let ##R## be an integral domain and ##p_1(x),p_2(x) \in R[x]## with neither equal to ##0##. Show that the degree of ##p_1(x)p_2(x)## is the sum of the degrees of ##p_1(x)## and ##p_2(x)##.
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
Here is my attempt.
Let ##p_1(x) = a_n x^n + a_{n-1}x^{n-1} + \dots + a_1x + a_0## and ##p_2(x) = b_m x^m + b_{m-1}x^{m-1} + \dots + b_1x + b_0##. Evidently ##\operatorname{deg} (p_1) = n## and ##\operatorname{deg} (p_2) = m##
Upon multiplication of ##p_1## and ##p_2##, the highest order term will be ##a_n b_m x^{n+m}##. Since ##a_n, b_m \in R##, an integral domain, and ##a_n \ne 0## and ##b_m \ne 0##, it must be the case that ##a_n b_m \ne 0##. Hence ##\operatorname{deg} (p_1 p_2) = \operatorname{deg} (p_1) + \operatorname{deg} (p_2) = m + n##.