original_query: What is a polynomial ring in the field of algebra?
query: What is a polynomial ring in the field of algebra?
answer: A polynomial ring, or polynomial algebra, is a ring (and commutative algebra) formed from the set of polynomials in one or more indeterminates (variables) with coefficients in another ring, often a field.  Often, the term refers to the special case of a polynomial ring in one indeterminate over a field.