PolynomialRing - crowlogic/arb4j GitHub Wiki

A polynomial ring is a mathematical concept in the field of algebra. It's essentially a collection (or "ring") of polynomials that can be added, subtracted, and multiplied together according to certain rules. Here's a bit more detail:

1. Polynomials: Before understanding polynomial rings, it's important to know what a polynomial is. A polynomial is an expression made up of variables (like $x, y, z$) and coefficients (which are usually numbers) that involves only the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and non-negative integer exponents of variables. An example of a polynomial is $3x^2 - 4x + 7$.

2. Ring Structure: In mathematics, a ring is a set equipped with two binary operations: addition and multiplication. These operations have to satisfy certain properties like associativity, distributivity of multiplication over addition, and the existence of an additive identity (usually 0) and a multiplicative identity (usually 1).

3. Polynomial Ring: A polynomial ring is a ring whose elements are polynomials. The coefficients of these polynomials usually come from another ring, often the ring of integers or real numbers. For instance, the set of all polynomials with real number coefficients forms a polynomial ring, denoted as $\mathbb{R}[x]$ where $\mathbb{R}$ represents the real numbers and $x$ is the variable used in the polynomials.

4. Operations in a Polynomial Ring: In a polynomial ring, you can add two polynomials together, or multiply them, and the result will also be a polynomial in the same ring. The rules for addition and multiplication are based on the usual rules for manipulating polynomials.

Polynomial rings are foundational in many areas of mathematics, including algebraic geometry, number theory, and commutative algebra. They provide a way to study properties of polynomials and the solutions of polynomial equations in a structured and rigorous way.