Question

What is the vertex form of `y= x^2 – 7x – 4`?

Answer 1

`y = x^2 - 7 x - 4`

use completing a square

`y = (x - 7/2)^2 - (-7/2)^2 - 4`

`y = (x - 7/2)^2 - 49/4 - 16/4`

`y = (x - 7/2)^2 - 65/4`

since `(x - 7/2)^2` is a +ve value, therefore it has a minimum vertex `7/2` at `(7/2, -65/4)`