Professional Documents
Culture Documents
x2 + 6x + 2 =0
we cannot. Therefore, we will complete the square. We will make the quadratic into the form
a2 + 2ab + b2 = (a + b)2 .
x2 + 6x = 2.
2) Add a square number to both sides -- add the square of half the coefficient of x. In this
case, add the square of half of 6; that is, add the square of 3, which is 9:
x2 + 6x + 9 = 2 + 9.
(x + 3)2 = 7.
a2 =b
which implies
a= .
Therefore,
x+3 =
x = 3 .
x2 + 6x + 2 = 0
For a method of checking these roots, see the theorem of the sum and product of the roots:
Lesson 10 of Topics in Precalculus,
In Lesson 18 there are examples and problems in which the coefficient of x is odd. Also, some
of the quadratics below have complex roots, and some involve simplifying radicals.
a) x2 2x 2 = 0 b) x2 10x + 20 = 0
x2 2x = 2 x2 10x = 20
x2 2x + 1 = 2 + 1 x2 10x + 25 = 20 + 25
(x 1)2 = 3 (x 5)2 = 5
x1 = x5 =
x = 1 x = 5
c) x2 4x + 13 = 0 d) x2 + 6x + 29 = 0
x2 4x = 13 x2 + 6x = 29
x2 4x + 4 = 13 + 4 x2 + 6x + 9 = 29+ 9
(x 2)2 = 9 (x + 3)2 = 20
x 2 = 3i x+3 =
x = 2 3i x = 3 2i
e) x2 5x 5 =0 f) x2 + 3x + 1 =0
x2 5x = 5 x2 + 3x = 1
x 5/2 = x + 3/2 =
x= x=
Proof of the quadratic formula
To prove the quadratic formula, we complete the square. But to do that, the coefficient of x2
must be 1. Therefore, we will divide both sides of the original equation by a:
on multiplying both c and a by 4a, thus making the denominators the same
This is the quadratic formula.