11: Quadratic Equations and Functions
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- 11.4: Solve Quadratic Equations Using the Quadratic Formula
- When we solved quadratic equations in the last section by completing the square, we took the same steps every time. By the end of the exercise set, you may have been wondering ‘isn’t there an easier way to do this?’ The answer is ‘yes’. Mathematicians look for patterns when they do things over and over in order to make their work easier. In this section we will derive and use a formula to find the solution of a quadratic equation.
Thumbnail: Plot of the quadratic function. (Public Domain; N.Mori).