Question

How do you find the number of solutions using the discriminant?

Answer 1

The quadratic formula states:

For `ax^2 + bx + c = 0`, the values of `x` which are the solutions to the equation are given by:

`x = (-b +- sqrt(b^2 - 4ac))/(2a)`

The discriminate is the portion of the quadratic equation within the radical: `color(blue)(b)^2 - 4color(red)(a)color(green)(c)`

If the discriminate is:
- Positive, you will get two real solutions
- Zero you get just ONE solution
- Negative you get complex solutions