Theory

Coefficient

A coefficient is a number that stands in front of a variable, an expression, or a function. Below is an algebraic expression where the terms containing variables have the coefficients $2$ and $\text{-}5.$

Coefficients indicate how many times a particular variable appears in an expression. In this case, there are two $x^3\text{-terms}$ and five $x\text{-terms}.$ $\begin{gathered} \underbrace{\left(x^3+x^3\right)}_2-\underbrace{(x+x+x+x+x)}_5+3 \end{gathered}$ Note that a variable with a coefficient of $1$ is usually written as though it doesn't have a coefficient. $\begin{gathered} 1a = a \end{gathered}$