How can I find the roots of 2nd order equations ?
To find the roots of a 2nd order equation, the coefficients of the variable in the equation are needed. Using these coefficients, a mathematical value called discriminant is calculated. Discriminant is indicated by the delta symbol. In order for the equation to have real roots, the discriminant value must be greater than or equal to 0. If the discriminant is greater than 0, it means that the equation has two different real roots. If the discriminant is less than 0, the equation has no real root, it has two complex roots that are conjugate to each other. If discriminant is 0, the equation has two coincident roots.
To find the roots, this discriminant value is substituted in the relevant formulas. One of the roots is found by the formula x1 = (- b + root (delta)) / (2a), while the other root is found by the formula x2 = (- b-root (delta)) / (2a).