Algebra/Chapter 10/Symmetric Polynomials
< Algebra | Chapter 10
Introduction
In Algebra, a polynomial in several variables is called a symmetric polynomial if it remains invariant under any permutation of its variables.
Symmetric polynomials were initially studied in the context of solutions of polynomial equations in a single variable, since the coefficients of the polynomial are symmetric polynomials in its roots.
Over time, symmetric polynomials gained a status of their own, and they appear in various branches of mathematics, mainly in combinatorics.