Quadratic Vocabulary

Quadratic Vocabulary

1. vertex

   • In geometry, a vertex (plural vertices) is a special kind of point that describes the corners or intersections of geometric shapes.

2. minimum

   • Also called relative minimum, local minimum. the value of a function at a certain point in its domain, which is less than or equal to the values

3. x-intercepts

   • The x-intercepts are where the graph crosses the x-axis

4. maximum

   • the greatest or highest amount possible or attained

5. zeros of the function

   • In other words, a "zero" of a function is an input value that produces an output of zero (0). If the function maps real numbers to real numbers, its zeroes are the x-coordinates of the points where its graph meets the x-axis. An alternative name for such a point (x,0) in this context is an x-intercept.

6. parabola

   • the set of all points in the plane equidistant from a given line

7. axis of symmetry

   • A line of symmetry for a graph. The two sides of a graph on either side of the axis of symmetry look like mirror images of each other. Example: This is a graph of the parabola y = x2 – 4x + 2 together with its axis of symmetry x = 2.

8. discriminant

   • The discriminant is the name given to the expression that appears under the square root (radical) sign in the quadratic formula. The discriminant tells you about the "nature" of the roots of a quadratic equation given that a, b and c are rational numbers.

9. roots of the equation

   • A real number x will be called a solution or a root if it satisfies the equation, meaning . It is easy to see that the roots are exactly the x-intercepts of the quadratic function , that is the intersection between the graph of the quadratic function with the x-axis.

10. y-intercepts

    • Where a straight line crosses the Y axis of a graph. See: Y Axis. Y Intercept of a Straight Line.

11. end behavior

    • The end behavior of a polynomial function is the behavior of the graph of f(x) as x approaches positive infinity or negative infinity. The degree and the leading coefficient of a polynomial function determine the end behavior of the graph.

12. perfect square trinomial

    • A perfect square binomial is a trinomial that when factored gives you the square of a binomial.

13. difference of squares

    • the difference of squares (with variables); the polynomial sum of squares is always prime (that is, it can't be factored with whole numbers or fractions).

14. factors of a quadratic

    • Factoring quadratics finds the roots or x-intercepts of a quadratic equation.

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