Question 472063
Graphing: Pros - approximate solution, able to determine how many solutions a quadratic has. Cons - can't obtain exact solutions


Quadratic formula: Pros - always works. Cons - might take some arithmetic and bashing.


Completing the square (used to derive quadratic formula btw): Pros - also works for every quadratic. Cons - have to divide the x term by 2, then square it...might not be useful for weird coefficients.


Factoring: Pros - allows for an easy method of finding the solutions. Cons - most polynomials cannot be factored easily, and factoring sometimes assumes you already know the zeros.



Whichever method is best is rather subjective. For me, I would first try factoring, if I cannot factor the quadratic easily I will head straight to the quadratic formula.