Python "why" questions

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:28:46 +1200, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:

> In message <8crg0eFfbkU1 at mid.individual.net>, Gregory Ewing wrote:
> 
>> For example, the constant term of a polynomial is usually called term
>> 0, not term 1.
> 
> That is not some kind of ordinal numbering of the terms, that is the
> power of the variable involved.
> 
> And polynomials can have negative powers, too.

Not so. Polynomials, by definition, are limited to non-negative integer 
powers. You're thinking of a "polynomial quotient", otherwise known as a 
"rational function".

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Polynomial.html




-- 
Steven