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Discriminant of a Quadratic Equation
The discriminant is the expression that appears underneath the radical in the Quadratic Formula, . For a quadratic equation written in standard form, , the discriminant is calculated by squaring the coefficient of the linear term and subtracting four times the product of the leading coefficient and the constant term. Because the discriminant sits inside the radical, its value controls whether the expression under the square root is positive, zero, or negative. Consequently, it provides an easy way to predict the number and type of solutions a quadratic equation will have without needing to actually solve the equation.
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Discriminant of a Quadratic Equation
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