The Quadratic Formula

The quadratic formula is a mathematical tool used to find the solutions (or roots) of a quadratic equation, which is an equation where the highest power of the variable is two (like ax² + bx + c = 0). It provides a direct way to determine the values of the variable that satisfy the equation by plugging the coefficients into the formula: x = [-b ± √(b² - 4ac)] / 2a. The term under the square root, called the discriminant (b² - 4ac), indicates whether the solutions are real or complex. It’s a fundamental method for solving quadratic problems efficiently.