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Coefficient



A coefficient is a constant multiplier of variables and any part of an algebraic term, Thus, in the expression


the possible coefficients for the term 3xy2 would include 3, which is the coefficient of xy2, and x, which is the coefficient of 3y2:

has 4 as a coefficient of


Most commonly, however, the word coefficient refers to what is, strictly speaking, the numerical coefficient. Thus, the numerical coefficients of the expression 5xy 2 - 3x + 2y - 4-X are considered to be 5, -3, +2, and -4.



In many formulas, especially in statistics, certain numbers are considered coefficients, such as correlation coefficients in statistics or the coefficient of expansion in physics.

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