We can also write P(x) in terms of its roots, ri. The roots, or zeros, of a function f(x) are the
values of x for which f(x) = 0. As we will see, these are of great significance. Since the degree of
P(x), or the greatest power of x in the polynomial, is n (we write deg P = n), we can prove that
there are exactly n roots (not necessarily distinct). The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra (FTA)
comes in handy, claiming that every polynomial has at least one zero. (For a proof of the FTA, see
[1].) As a direct consequence of this theorem, we can write