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Concept
Elementary symmetric polynomial
Summary
In mathematics, specifically in commutative algebra, the elementary symmetric polynomials are one type of basic building block for symmetric polynomials, in the sense that any symmetric polynomial can be expressed as a polynomial in elementary symmetric polynomials. That is, any symmetric polynomial P is given by an expression involving only additions and multiplication of constants and elementary symmetric polynomials. There is one elementary symmetric polynomial of degree d in n variables for each positive integer d ≤ n, and it is formed by adding together all distinct products of d distinct variables.
The elementary symmetric polynomials in n variables X1, ..., Xn, written ek(X1, ..., Xn) for k = 1, ..., n, are defined by
and so forth, ending with
In general, for k ≥ 0 we define
so that ek(X1, ..., Xn) = 0 if k > n.
(Sometimes, 1 = e0(X1, ..., Xn) is included among the elementary symmetric polynomials, but excluding it allows generally simpler formulation of results and properties.)
Thus, for each positive integer k less than or equal to n there exists exactly one elementary symmetric polynomial of degree k in n variables. To form the one that has degree k, we take the sum of all products of k-subsets of the n variables. (By contrast, if one performs the same operation using multisets of variables, that is, taking variables with repetition, one arrives at the complete homogeneous symmetric polynomials.)
Given an integer partition (that is, a finite non-increasing sequence of positive integers) λ = (λ1, ..., λm), one defines the symmetric polynomial eλ(X1, ..., Xn), also called an elementary symmetric polynomial, by
Sometimes the notation σk is used instead of ek.
The following lists the n elementary symmetric polynomials for the first four positive values of n.
For n = 1:
For n = 2:
For n = 3:
For n = 4:
The elementary symmetric polynomials appear when we expand a linear factorization of a monic polynomial: we have the identity
That is, when we substitute numerical values for the variables X1, X2, ...
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Symmetric polynomial
In mathematics, a symmetric polynomial is a polynomial P(X1, X2, ..., Xn) in n variables, such that if any of the variables are interchanged, one obtains the same polynomial. Formally, P is a symmetric polynomial if for any permutation σ of the subscripts 1, 2, ..., n one has P(Xσ(1), Xσ(2), ..., Xσ(n)) = P(X1, X2, ..., Xn). Symmetric polynomials arise naturally in the study of the relation between the roots of a polynomial in one variable and its coefficients, since the coefficients can be given by polynomial expressions in the roots, and all roots play a similar role in this setting.
Newton's identities
In mathematics, Newton's identities, also known as the Girard–Newton formulae, give relations between two types of symmetric polynomials, namely between power sums and elementary symmetric polynomials. Evaluated at the roots of a monic polynomial P in one variable, they allow expressing the sums of the k-th powers of all roots of P (counted with their multiplicity) in terms of the coefficients of P, without actually finding those roots. These identities were found by Isaac Newton around 1666, apparently in ignorance of earlier work (1629) by Albert Girard.
Vieta's formulas
In mathematics, Vieta's formulas relate the coefficients of a polynomial to sums and products of its roots. They are named after François Viète (more commonly referred to by the Latinised form of his name, "Franciscus Vieta"). Any general polynomial of degree n (with the coefficients being real or complex numbers and an ≠ 0) has n (not necessarily distinct) complex roots r1, r2, ..., rn by the fundamental theorem of algebra. Vieta's formulas relate the polynomial's coefficients to signed sums of products of the roots r1, r2, .