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What is Algebraic Expression

Algebraic expression is a bunch of numbers (constants), operations and variables.

Unlike number expressions, algebraic expressions can contain variables.

Following is example of algebraic expression:

x×2+3−x×y+x2+(5−x)y{\color{green}{{{x}}}}{\color{blue}{{\times}}}{\color{red}{{{2}}}}{\color{blue}{{+}}}{\color{red}{{{3}}}}{\color{blue}{{-}}}{\color{green}{{{x}}}}{\color{blue}{{\times}}}{\color{green}{{{y}}}}{\color{blue}{{+}}}{{\color{green}{{{x}}}}}^{{\color{red}{{{2}}}}}{\color{blue}{{+}}}{{\left({\color{red}{{{5}}}}{\color{blue}{{-}}}{\color{green}{{{x}}}}\right)}}^{{{\color{green}{{{y}}}}}}

Constants are red, variables are green, operations are blue.

Sometimes, we can discard multiplication and write xy{x}{y} instead of x×y{x}\times{y}. This is possible to do, if you really sure that others will not have to guess, what you wrote.

For example, you can write 2x{2}{x} instead of 2⋅x{2}\cdot{x}.

However, you can't write 123{123} instead of 12×3{12}\times{3}, because you mean 12×3=36{12}\times{3}={36}, but others see 123123.