Meaning & use
discriminant
In algebra, the expression b squared minus four a c, calculated from a quadratic equation's coefficients to determine the nature of its roots.
See it in a sentence
A negative discriminant means the quadratic equation has no real solutions.
Students calculated the discriminant first to decide how many real roots the equation had.
A note on using this word
The sign of the discriminant reveals the type of roots: positive gives two real roots, zero gives one repeated root, and negative gives two complex roots.
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