sparknotes
Quadratics
Terms
Axis of Symmetry -
The line which divides the parabola into two symmetrical halves. In the equation for the parabola
y = a(x - h) + k
, the axis of symmetry is
x = h
.
Completing the Square -
A process by which we add and subtract a constant to create a perfect square trinomial within an equation and transform the equation of the form
y = ax
2 + bx + c
into an equation of the form
y = a(x - h)2 + k
.
Discriminant -
In the quadratic equation, the expression
b
2 - 4ac
. The discriminant determines the number of solutions to a quadratic equation, or the number of
x
-intercepts of a quadratic function.
Parabola -
The shape of the graph of
y = a(x - h)2 + k
.
Graph of
y = x
2
Quadratic Equation -
An equation of the form
ax
2 + bx + c = 0
, where
a≠ 0
, and
a
,
b
, and
c
are real numbers.
Quadratic Formula -
Given a quadratic equation
ax
2 + bx + c = 0
, the solutions are given by the equation
x =
.
x =
.
Quadratic Function -
A function of the form
y = ax
2 + bx + c
, where
a≠ 0
, and
a
,
b
, and
c
are real numbers.
Vertex -
In the equation
y = a(x - h)2 + k
, the point
(h, k)
-- the minimum point in a parabola that opens upward, or the maximum point in a parabola that opens downward.
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