Question

For the quadratic equation \[ax^{2} + bx + c = 0, \quad a \neq 0\], which expression is called the discriminant?

Options

• \[b^{2} - 4ac\]

• \[b^{2} - 2ac\]

• \[b^{2} + 4ac\]

• \[4ac - b^{2}\]

Answer 1

The discriminant of \[ax^{2} + bx + c = 0\] is defined as \[D = b^{2} - 4ac\]. It is the expression under the square root sign in the quadratic formula and is denoted by the letter 'D'.