A quartic polynomial is a type of function of degree four. It is often represented in the general form of Ax^4 + Bx^3 + Cx^2 + Dx + E, where A, B, C, D, and E are coefficients. Synonyms for the term quartic polynomial include quartic function, fourth-degree polynomial, and degree-four polynomial. In algebra, it is common to manipulate these functions by factoring, completing the square, or using the quadratic formula. Quartic polynomials are commonly used to represent data in fields such as physics and economics, where they can model complex relationships between variables.