This chapter provides a foundational overview of linear polynomials, specifically focusing on expressions involving a single variable. By utilizing real-world scenarios—such as calculating the total cost of school supplies, fencing a garden, or determining club fees—the source defines essential terminology including terms, coefficients, variables, and constants. The material distinguishes between various polynomial types based on their degree, identifying degree-one expressions as linear, degree-two as quadratic, and degree-three as cubic. A central theme is the concept of linear patterns, where a quantity changes by a constant difference over equal intervals, which the text categorizes as either linear growth or linear decay. Finally, the source introduces a visual component, demonstrating how these algebraic relationships can be modeled as straight lines on a coordinate plane, with the slope representing the rate of change.