Discriminant

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The discriminant of a Quadratic Equation of the form

$ax^2 + bx + c = 0$

is the quantity $b^2-4ac$. When $a$, $b$, and $c$ are real, this is a notable quantity, because if the Discriminant is positive, the equation has two real roots; if the discriminant is negative, the equation has two non-real roots; and if the discriminant is 0, the equation has a real double root.


Other resources