document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=383528>Question 383528</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> What are you really solving for when solving quadratic equations? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #271566 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Earlsdon><B>Earlsdon(6294)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Earlsdon><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=271566\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> You are solving for the coordinates on the x-axis where the parabola (the graph of a quadratic equation) intersects the x-axis, if it does intersect it.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "You will usually have two different values of x but not always.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "If the parabola just touches the x-axis, then you will have a \"double\" solution in which the two values of the x-coordinate are identical.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "If the parabola does not intersect the x-axis, then the solution to the quadratic equation will not be \"real\" numbers but \"complex\" numbers of the form <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28a%2B-bi%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28a%2B-bi%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >  </SPAN>\n" );
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