In mathematics, the complex conjugate root theorem states that if P is a polynomial in one variable with real coefficients, and a + bi is a root of P with a and b real numbers, then its complex conjugate a − bi is also a root of P. It follows from this (and the fundamental theorem of algebra), that if the degree of a real polynomial is odd, it must have at least one real root. That fact can also be proven by using the intermediate value theorem.