ALGEBRAIC EQUATION

statement of the equality of two expressions formulated by applying to a set of variables the algebraic operations, namely, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, raising to a power, and extraction of a root. Equations that involve nonalgebraic operations, such as the evaluation of logarithms or trigonometric functions, are said to be transcendental. The solution of an algebraic equation is the process of finding a number or set of numbers that, if substituted for the variables in the equation, reduce it to an identity. Such a number is called a root (q.v.) of the equation. See also Diophantine equation; linear equation; quadratic equation.