Concept
We can find the degree of a polynomial by identifying the highest power of the variable that occurs in the polynomial. The term with the highest degree is called the leading term because it is usually written first. The coefficient of the leading term is called the leading coefficient.
From the function
[tex]f(x)=4x^3\text{ - 3x}[/tex]
Therefore,
The leading coefficient = 4
The degree = 3
Next, the end behavior of the function
The end behavior of a polynomial function is the behavior of the graph of f(x) as x approaches positive infinity or negative infinity. So, the sign of the leading coefficient is sufficient to predict the end behavior of the function.
Interpretations:
As x tends to positive infinity, f(x) tend to positive infinity
As x tends to negative infinity, f(x) tend to positive infinity
