What is the difference between polynomial and multinomial regressions in machine learning?

Question

I'm currently trying to master regression and I've come across people using the words polynomial and multinomial quite interchangeably, yet I've also heard people say multinomial regression is a part of polynomial regression. I'm obviously confused.

I know a polynomial function is goes something like this: f(x)=ax^2+bx+c but to my knowledge that is also a multinomial function.

So do poly and multi mean the same thing? Or is there an actual difference?

Answer 1

Multinomials are polynomials that contain more than one term. Monomials are a type of polynomial but they are not a type of multinomial.