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Deriving the quadratic formula

Sometimes visual representations can help us develop eective algebraic methods for solving problems. In this problem set, you will use graphs to help you nd a general formula for the solutions to the quadratic equation ax2 + bx + c = 0. 1. Begin with a fairly general quadratic equation that can be solved using factoring: (a) Find the solutions to 0 = ax2 + bx. These are the solutions for all quadratic equations that lack a constant term (c = 0). (b) The solutions to 0 = ax2 + bx are also the x-intercepts of y = ax2 + bx. Use your answer to problem 1a to sketch a graph of y = ax2 + bx. Since you do not know what a and b are, assume that a > 0 and b > 0. Label your intercepts and show the parabola in the correct position relative to the axes. We can show that the graph of y = x2 is symmetric about the line x = 0 (the y -axis) by substituting both k and k for x and obtaining the same result, k 2 . Are the graphs of all quadratic functions of the form y = ax2 + bx symmetric? (a) Use your answers to problem 1a to identify a possible line of symmetry for y = ax2 + bx. (b) The values k and k demonstrate symmetry about x = 0 because they are equidistant from 0. What expressions represent values equidistant from the symmetry line that you found in problem 2a? (c) We cannot assume that the line found in problem 2a is the line of symmetry for the entire graphwe have to prove it. Show that y = ax2 + bx is, in fact, symmetric about that line. To understand all quadratic equations, add back the constant term: y = ax2 + bx + c. (a) What does c do to the graph from problem 1b? Sketch, on the same axes and for xed values of a and b, graphs for y = ax2 + bx + c when c < 0, c = 0, and c > 0. (b) What is the line of symmetry for y = ax2 + bx + c? (c) The x-intercepts of y = ax2 + bx + c are equidistant from your answer to problem 3b, so you can represent them as s d, where s is your expression for the line of
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2.

3.

For example, how will the graphs of y = 1 x2 + 3x 5, 2 1 2 y = 2 x + 3x, and x2 + 3x + 4 dier? Use a y= 1 2 graphing calculator to nd out.

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Deriving the quadratic formula : Problem

symmetry (x = s) and d is the distance both intercepts are from s. Substitute your version of s + d in for x in 0 = ax2 + bx + c and solve for d. (d) Finally, substitute your values for d and s into s d to produce a general formula for the solutions of any quadratic equation, 0 = ax2 + bx + c. This formula is called the Quadratic Formula. 4. Look at your sketch for problem 3a. If you choose ever larger values for c, you will eventually produce graphs with no x-intercepts. Lets nd the criterion for which combinations of coecients produce such a graph. (a) Find the coordinates of the vertex of the parabola given by y = ax2 + bx + c. (b) Write an inequality in terms of a, b, and c that tells us when a graph will have no x-intercepts. (c) Where does your result for problem 4b appear in the quadratic formula? When the graph has no x-intercepts, what happens to the values generated by the quadratic formula?

Although you assumed that a and b were positive when drawing your sketches, the symbolic computations have not depended on that assumption and so apply to all values (except when a = 0, can you explain why?).

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Deriving the quadratic formula : Hints

Hints
Hint for problem 1b. Should your parabola open up or down? In which quadrants will it appear? Although you cant label your axes with numbers, you can label one x-intercept in terms of a and b. Hint for problem 2a. The line of symmetry must be equidistant from, and, therefore, pass through the midpoint of, the two zeroes. Hint for problem 2b. From what value are 4 + k and 4 k equidistant (pick a value for k to check your answer)? Hint for problem 2c. Substitute your expressions from problem 2b and show that y = ax2 + bx has the same value for both. Hint for problem 4a. Substitute the value for your axis of symmetry (your x-coordinate) into f (x) = ax2 + bx + c. Hint for problem 4b. There are two cases to consider depending on the sign of a.

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Deriving the quadratic formula : Solutions

Solutions
1. (a) Factor out the common factor: 0 = x(ax + b). A solution exists when either x = 0 or ax + b = 0, so b x = 0 or x = a . (b) Since a is positive, the parabola opens upward. Your sketch should look like this:

2. (a)

The line of symmetry must pass through the midpoint b of the solutions 0 and a . So, the equation for the line
0+ b

is x = 2 a = 2ba . (b) We want to compare points equidistant from x = 2ba , so lets move k units to both sides of that value: 2ba +k and 2ba k . (c) To see if the graph is symmetric with respect to x = 2ba , we evaluate the equation at 2ba + k and 2ba k : y = a( 2ba + k )2 + b( 2ba + k ) 2 b2 + k2) 2 + bk = a( 4ba2 bk a a =
b2 4a

bk + ak 2
2 b2 4a

b2 2a

+ bk

= ak

Likewise, y = a( 2ba k )2 + b( 2ba k ) = a( 4ba2 + =

b2 4a b2
2

bk a

+ k2)
2 b2 2a

b2 2a

bk

+ bk + ak

bk

= ak 2 4a Since y has the same value in both cases, the graph has reection symmetry about x = 2ba .
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Deriving the quadratic formula : Solutions

3. (a)

Adding c translates the curve vertically. Your sketch might look like this:

(b)

The axis of symmetry is unaected by the vertical translation. It is still x = 2ba . (c) The intercepts can be represented by 2ba + d. So 0 = a( 2ba + d)2 + b( 2ba + d) + c. Simplify and solve for d: b2 b2 2 bd + ad + bd + c = 0 4a 2a ad2 b2 +c=0 4a b2 c 4a

ad2 = d2 = d2 =

b2 c 2 4a a

b2 4ac 4a2 b2 4ac d= 2a (d) Substitute to get the x-intercepts for y = ax2 + bx + c and the solutions to 0 = ax2 + bx + c: b x=s+d= 2a
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b b2 4ac b2 4ac = 2a 2a
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Deriving the quadratic formula : Solutions

4. (a)

The vertex lies on the axis of symmetry, so its xcoordinate is 2ba . Substitute into y = ax2 + bx + c to get the y -coordinate: y = a( 2ba )2 + b( 2ba ) + c =
b2 4a

b2

b2 2a

+c

= 4a + c (b) There will be no x-intercepts when a > 0 (the parabola b2 opens upward) and 4 + c > 0 (the vertex is above a the x-axis). This inequality simplies to b2 + 4ac > 0 or b2 4ac < 0. Similarly, there will be no x-intercepts b2 + when a < 0 (the parabola opens downward) and 4 a c < 0 (the vertex is below the x-axis). This inequality simplies to b2 + 4ac > 0 or b2 4ac < 0 again because we reverse the direction of the inequality when we multiply by a, which is negative. (c) The expression b2 4ac is the value within the square root of the quadratic formula. When it is negative, we have the square root of a negative number so there are no real solutions (but there are complex ones).

The expression b2 4ac is called the discriminant, because it allows us to discriminate between the cases when a quadratic equation will have 2 real roots, 1 real root, or no real roots

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