add total_degree thin-wrapper like function to polytools

[smichr]

Just as there is a degree function and a Poly.degree method, a total_degree function could be added to polys.polytools.

Perhaps something like the following:

def total_degree(f):
    f = sympify(f)
    if f.is_Poly:
        rv = f.total_degree()
    elif f.is_Number:
        rv = 0
    else:
        rv = Poly(f).total_degree()
    # the Poly method returns int; SymPy functions return SymPy objects
    return Integer(rv)

[asmeurer]

It should also allow to specify the generators. It should match the other polys functions in its form.

[smichr]

specify the generators

ahh...so total_degree(x*y + z**3, x, y) gives 2 instead of 3?

[asmeurer]

Yes

>>> Poly(x*y + z**3, x, y).total_degree()
2

Anything not in the generators should be thought of as a symbolic constant.

[Yathartha22]

@smichr I would like to work on this.