diff --git a/src/data/mv_polynomial.lean b/src/data/mv_polynomial.lean
index 3a1cd6f8ec1a8..76e102ee8e164 100644
--- a/src/data/mv_polynomial.lean
+++ b/src/data/mv_polynomial.lean
@@ -526,6 +526,8 @@ def eval (f : σ → α) : mv_polynomial σ α → α := eval₂ id f
 
 @[simp] lemma eval_zero : (0 : mv_polynomial σ α).eval f = 0 := eval₂_zero _ _
 
+@[simp] lemma eval_one : (1 : mv_polynomial σ α).eval f = 1 := eval₂_one _ _
+
 @[simp] lemma eval_add : (p + q).eval f = p.eval f + q.eval f := eval₂_add _ _
 
 lemma eval_monomial : (monomial s a).eval f = a * s.prod (λn e, f n ^ e) :=
@@ -537,6 +539,8 @@ eval₂_monomial _ _
 
 @[simp] lemma eval_mul : (p * q).eval f = p.eval f * q.eval f := eval₂_mul _ _
 
+@[simp] lemma eval_pow (n : ℕ) : (p ^ n).eval f = (p.eval f) ^ n := eval₂_pow _ _
+
 instance eval.is_semiring_hom : is_semiring_hom (eval f) :=
 eval₂.is_semiring_hom _ _
 
@@ -792,7 +796,7 @@ begin
   exact finset.sup_le (assume s hs, multiset.card_le_of_le $ finset.le_sup hs)
 end
 
-lemma total_degree_C (a : α) : (C a : mv_polynomial σ α).total_degree = 0 :=
+@[simp] lemma total_degree_C (a : α) : (C a : mv_polynomial σ α).total_degree = 0 :=
 nat.eq_zero_of_le_zero $ finset.sup_le $ assume n hn,
   have _ := finsupp.support_single_subset hn,
   begin
@@ -801,12 +805,20 @@ nat.eq_zero_of_le_zero $ finset.sup_le $ assume n hn,
     exact le_refl _
   end
 
-lemma total_degree_zero : (0 : mv_polynomial σ α).total_degree = 0 :=
+@[simp] lemma total_degree_zero : (0 : mv_polynomial σ α).total_degree = 0 :=
 by rw [← C_0]; exact total_degree_C (0 : α)
 
-lemma total_degree_one : (1 : mv_polynomial σ α).total_degree = 0 :=
+@[simp] lemma total_degree_one : (1 : mv_polynomial σ α).total_degree = 0 :=
 total_degree_C (1 : α)
 
+@[simp] lemma total_degree_X {α} [nonzero_comm_ring α] (s : σ) :
+  (X s : mv_polynomial σ α).total_degree = 1 :=
+begin
+  rw [total_degree, X, monomial, finsupp.support_single_ne_zero one_ne_zero],
+  simp only [finset.sup, sum_single_index, finset.insert_empty_eq_singleton,
+    finset.fold_singleton, sup_bot_eq],
+end
+
 lemma total_degree_add (a b : mv_polynomial σ α) :
   (a + b).total_degree ≤ max a.total_degree b.total_degree :=
 finset.sup_le $ assume n hn,
@@ -831,6 +843,17 @@ finset.sup_le $ assume n hn,
     { assume a b₁ b₂, refl }
   end
 
+lemma total_degree_pow (a : mv_polynomial σ α) (n : ℕ) :
+  (a ^ n).total_degree ≤ n * a.total_degree :=
+begin
+  induction n with n ih,
+  { simp only [nat.nat_zero_eq_zero, zero_mul, pow_zero, total_degree_one] },
+  rw pow_succ,
+  calc total_degree (a * a ^ n) ≤ a.total_degree + (a^n).total_degree : total_degree_mul _ _
+    ... ≤ a.total_degree + n * a.total_degree : add_le_add_left ih _
+    ... = (n+1) * a.total_degree : by rw [add_mul, one_mul, add_comm]
+end
+
 lemma total_degree_list_prod :
   ∀(s : list (mv_polynomial σ α)), s.prod.total_degree ≤ (s.map mv_polynomial.total_degree).sum
 | []        := by rw [@list.prod_nil (mv_polynomial σ α) _, total_degree_one]; refl
@@ -987,6 +1010,20 @@ eval₂.is_ring_hom _ _
 
 end map
 
+section total_degree
+
+@[simp] lemma total_degree_neg (a : mv_polynomial σ α) :
+  (-a).total_degree = a.total_degree :=
+by simp only [total_degree, finsupp.support_neg]
+
+lemma total_degree_sub (a b : mv_polynomial σ α) :
+  (a - b).total_degree ≤ max a.total_degree b.total_degree :=
+calc (a - b).total_degree = (a + -b).total_degree                : by rw sub_eq_add_neg
+                      ... ≤ max a.total_degree (-b).total_degree : total_degree_add a (-b)
+                      ... = max a.total_degree b.total_degree    : by rw total_degree_neg
+
+end total_degree
+
 section aeval
 
 /-- The algebra of multivariate polynomials. -/