Poly- (Prefix)

The prefix poly- means "many" or "much" and comes from the Greek word "polys." It’s commonly used to describe something with multiple parts, like "polygon" (many sides) or "polyglot" (many languages).

Importance in Mathematics

In math, poly- often indicates multiple elements. A polynomial is an expression made up of terms that include variables raised to non-negative integer powers combined by addition or subtraction. For example, \( 3x^2 + 5x - 7 \) is a polynomial with three terms.