document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=36300>Question 36300</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> use the discriminant to determine the number of solutions of the quadratic equation, and whether the solutions are real or complex. Note: It is not necessary to find the roots; just determine the number and types of solutions.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2x^2 + x - 1 = 0 </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #22262 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Nate><B>Nate(3500)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Nate><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=22262\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <TABLE  BORDER=1>\n" );
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document.write( " <TR><TD  ALIGN=MIDDLE>Solved by <A  rel=nofollow HREF=http://wiki.algebra.com/index.php/Tutoring_-_pluggable_solvers>pluggable</A> solver: <A  rel=nofollow HREF=quadratic.solver>SOLVE quadratic equation with variable</A></TD></TR>\n" );
document.write( "<TR><TD  ALIGN=LEFT>Quadratic equation <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc=0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > (in our case <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2x%5E2%2B1x%2B-1+=+0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2x%5E2%2B1x%2B-1+=+0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >) has the following solutons:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B12%5D+=+%28b%2B-sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F2%5Ca ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B12%5D+=+%28b%2B-sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F2%5Ca\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "  For these solutions to exist, the <U>discriminant</U> <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b%5E2-4ac ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b%5E2-4ac\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > should not be a negative number.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "  First, we need to compute the discriminant <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b%5E2-4ac ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b%5E2-4ac\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >: <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b%5E2-4ac=%281%29%5E2-4%2A2%2A-1=9 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b%5E2-4ac=%281%29%5E2-4%2A2%2A-1=9\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "  Discriminant d=9 is greater than zero. That means that there are two solutions: <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x%5B12%5D+=+%28-1%2B-sqrt%28+9+%29%29%2F2%5Ca ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x%5B12%5D+=+%28-1%2B-sqrt%28+9+%29%29%2F2%5Ca\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "    <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B1%5D+=+%28-%281%29%2Bsqrt%28+9+%29%29%2F2%5C2+=+0.5 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B1%5D+=+%28-%281%29%2Bsqrt%28+9+%29%29%2F2%5C2+=+0.5\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "    <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B2%5D+=+%28-%281%29-sqrt%28+9+%29%29%2F2%5C2+=+-1 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B2%5D+=+%28-%281%29-sqrt%28+9+%29%29%2F2%5C2+=+-1\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "    <BR>\n" );
document.write( "    Quadratic expression <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2x%5E2%2B1x%2B-1 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2x%5E2%2B1x%2B-1\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > can be factored:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2x%5E2%2B1x%2B-1+=+2%28x-0.5%29%2A%28x--1%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2x%5E2%2B1x%2B-1+=+2%28x-0.5%29%2A%28x--1%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "  Again, the answer is: 0.5, -1.\n" );
document.write( "Here's your graph:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=graph%28+500%2C+500%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-20%2C+20%2C+2%2Ax%5E2%2B1%2Ax%2B-1+%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"graph%28+500%2C+500%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-20%2C+20%2C+2%2Ax%5E2%2B1%2Ax%2B-1+%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ></TD></TR>\n" );
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document.write( "....since the discriminant is greater than 0, the answers are either two rational or irrational real numbers.... </SPAN>\n" );
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