Abstract
In this paper we formulate and prove an equality expressing the discriminant of a sum of \(n\) degree \(d\) polynomials in one variable, where \(n \geqslant 2d - 1\) , in terms of subsums of those polynomials. To that end we study the properties of polarizations of arbitrary degree of maps \(f:M \to N\) of abelian groups, defined as certain generalizations of the classical polar form of a homogeneous polynomial in several variables. We show that the vanishing of \((n + 1)\) -st polarization of a map \(f\) is equivalent to polylinearity of its \(n\) th polarization. In case \(M = {R^s}\) , \(N = R\) and \(f\) is given by a polynomial of degree \(n\) we prove that its \((n + 1)\) -st polarization vanishes and simultaneously obtain a formula for its \(n\) th polarization that recovers the classical polarization identity.