 |
| ||
| |||
|
| Math Central | Quandaries & Queries |
|
Question from Katelyn, a student: Write the quadratic equation.... Sum of the roots = 16 |
Hi Katelyn,
Let's work backwards. Suppose that you have a quadratic with roots a and b then you know the quadratic is
(x - a)(x - b)
Expanding this you get
x2 - (a + b)x + ab
Said in another way the quadratic is
x2 - (the sum of the roots)x + (the product of the roots)
Penny
| ||
| ||
| ||
 |
 |
|
Math Central is supported by the University of Regina and The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences.