what is discriminant??

Question

all i know is it has something to do with math.

Answer 1

A discriminant is a shortcut to finding out something useful about an answer without the hard work of finding the complete answer. One example of a discriminant is that the discriminant of the equation ax^2 + bx + c = 0 is b^2 - 4ac. The value of this discriminant for any particular values of a, b and c tells you whether that equation has no real roots, one real root or two real roots. There is another discriminant for a cubic equation, whose value likewise tells you about its real roots.

Answer 2

For a quadratic equation the discriminant determines what sort of roots the eqaution will have.
For an equation in the form,
a(x^2) + bx + c = 0

the discriminant(denoted by capital delta) = b^2 - 4ac
if this is negative the equation will have complex roots. If it's positive then it will have two real distinct solutions. If it's zero it'll have the same root twice.
This is evident from the general solution of the above quadratic equation, obtained by completing the square.

Answer 3

Look at ax^2 + bx + c = 0
The solutions are
x = (-b -root(D))/(2a) and x = (-b -root(D))/(2a)
D = the discriminant, is nothing but an abbreviation for b^2 - 4ac.
It discriminates three possibilities:
D>0: 2 solutions
D=1: one solution, being x = -b/(2a)
D<0: no real solutions.

Th

Answer 4

The Discriminant

Determins the nature of the roots of the quadratic equation

b² - 4ac

When b² - 4ac is positive, the roots are real numbers

When b² = 4ac is negative, the roots are not real numbers