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<h1 id="quadratic-formula-derivation">Quadratic Formula Derivation</h1>
<p>The standard form of a quadratic equation is:</p>
<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block"><mrow><mi>a</mi><msup><mi>x</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>+</mo><mi>b</mi><mi>x</mi><mo>+</mo><mi>c</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>0</mn></mrow></math>
<p>Here, <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><mi>a</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>b</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>c</mi><mo>∈</mo><mi>ℝ</mi></mrow></math>, and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><mi>a</mi><mo>≠</mo><mn>0</mn></mrow></math></p>
<p>We begin by first dividing both sides by the coefficient <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><mi>a</mi></mrow></math></p>
<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block"><mrow><mi>⟹</mi><msup><mi>x</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>+</mo><mfrac><mrow><mi>b</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac><mi>x</mi><mo>+</mo><mfrac><mrow><mi>c</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac><mo>=</mo><mn>0</mn></mrow></math>
<p>We can rearrange the equation:</p>
<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block"><mrow><msup><mi>x</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>+</mo><mfrac><mrow><mi>b</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac><mi>x</mi><mo>=</mo><mo>−</mo><mfrac><mrow><mi>c</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac></mrow></math>
<p>We can then use the method of completing the square. (<a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/completing-square.html">Maths is Fun</a> has a really good explanation for this technique)</p>
<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block"><mrow><msup><mi>x</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>+</mo><mfrac><mrow><mi>b</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac><mi>x</mi><mo>+</mo><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mfrac><mrow><mi>b</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac><msup><mo stretchy="false">)</mo><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mrow><mo>−</mo><mi>c</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac><mo>+</mo><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mfrac><mrow><mi>b</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac><msup><mo stretchy="false">)</mo><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></math>
<p>On our LHS, we can clearly recognize that it is the expanded form of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>+</mo><mi>d</mi><msup><mo stretchy="false">)</mo><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></math> i.e <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><msup><mi>x</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>+</mo><mn>2</mn><mi>x</mi><mi>·</mi><mi>d</mi><mo>+</mo><msup><mi>d</mi><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></math></p>
<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block"><mrow><mi>⟹</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>+</mo><mfrac><mrow><mi>b</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac><msup><mo stretchy="false">)</mo><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mrow><mo>−</mo><mi>c</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac><mo>+</mo><mfrac><mrow><msup><mi>b</mi><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow><mrow><mn>4</mn><msup><mi>a</mi><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></mfrac><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>4</mn><mi>a</mi><mi>c</mi><mo>+</mo><msup><mi>b</mi><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow><mrow><mn>4</mn><msup><mi>a</mi><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></mfrac></mrow></math>
<p>Taking the square root of both sides</p>
<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block"><mrow><mtable displaystyle="true" rowspacing="3pt" columnspacing="0em 2em"><mtr><mtd columnalign="right"><mi>x</mi><mo>+</mo><mfrac><mrow><mi>b</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac></mtd><mtd columnalign="left"><mi /><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mrow><msqrt><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>4</mn><mi>a</mi><mi>c</mi><mo>+</mo><msup><mi>b</mi><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></msqrt></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac></mtd></mtr><mtr><mtd columnalign="right"><mi>x</mi></mtd><mtd columnalign="left"><mi /><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mrow><mi>±</mi><msqrt><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>4</mn><mi>a</mi><mi>c</mi><mo>+</mo><msup><mi>b</mi><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></msqrt><mo>−</mo><mi>b</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac></mtd></mtr><mtr><mtd columnalign="right" /><mtd columnalign="left"><mi /><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mrow><mo>−</mo><mi>b</mi><mi>±</mi><msqrt><mrow><msup><mi>b</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>−</mo><mn>4</mn><mi>a</mi><mi>c</mi></mrow></msqrt></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac></mtd></mtr></mtable></mrow></math>
<p>This gives you the world famous quadratic formula:</p>
<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block"><mrow><mi>x</mi><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mrow><mo>−</mo><mi>b</mi><mi>±</mi><msqrt><mrow><msup><mi>b</mi><mn>2</mn></msup><mo>−</mo><mn>4</mn><mi>a</mi><mi>c</mi></mrow></msqrt></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mi>a</mi></mrow></mfrac></mrow></math>
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