Deriving Quadratic Functions from Tables

Consider the quadratic function f given by f(x) = 3x2 + 4. The table shows the
values of f(x) for some consecutive values of x and their first and second differences.

x 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
f(x) = 3x2 + 4 7 16 31 52 79 112 151

1st Differences 9 15 21 27 33 39

2nd Differences 6 6 6 6 6

Observe that while the first differences in f(x) are unequal, the second differences
are equal to the nonzero constant 6.

The first differences in y or f(x) values are unequal while the second differences
are equal are characteristics of any quadratic function.

EXAMPLE

1. Derive the quadratic function from the table of values below

x 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
y 5 11 19 29 41 55 71

1st Differences 6 8 12 14 16 18

2nd Differences 2 2 2 2 2

Solution:

Let the quadratic function f be of the form y = ax2 + bx + c where a, b and

c are to be determined. Let us consider any 3 ordered pairs (x, y) from the table.
Let us take (1, 5), (3, 19) and (4, 29).

Equation 1  5 = a(1)2 + b(1) + c  5=a+b+c

Equation 2  19 = a(3)2 + b(3) + c  19 = 9a + 3b + c

Equation 3  29 = a(4)2 + b(4) + c  29 = 16a + 4b + c

We obtain a system of linear equations in 3 unknowns a, b and c.

(1)  5 = a + b + c
(2)  19 = 9a + 3b + c
 (3)  29 = 16a + 4b + c

(2) – (1) gives 8a + 2b = 14 or 4a + b = 7 (4)

(3) – (2) gives 7a + b = 10 (5)

(5) - (4) gives 3a = 3 or a = 1

Substituting a = 1 in (4) yields b = 3.

Substituting a = 1 and b = 3 in (1), we obtain c = 1.

Thus, the quadratic function determined by the table is

y = x2 + 3x + 1.

EXERCISES

I. Complete each table and find the first and second differences in f(x).

1.
x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
f(x) = 3x2 – 5

2.
x 0 3 6 9 12 15 18
f(x) = 2x2 – 3

II. Find the quadratic function determined by each table.

1.
x -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y 4 0 -2 -2 0 4

2.

x -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y -1 3 5 5 3 -1

3.

x -2 -1 0 1 2 3
y -5 -6 -3 4 15 30
Applications of Quadratic Functions
(Minimum/Maximum Value of a Quadratic Function)

1. The sum of two numbers is 29. Find the maximum possible product of the two
numbers.

Solution:

Let x be the first number

29 – x be the second number
y be the maximum possible product of the two numbers

y = x(29 – x)
y = 29x – x2

The graph of y = 29x – x2 opens downward and has a maximum

value which is equal to k and it occurs at h.

Solving for the value of k,

4ac - b2 4(-1)(0) - 29 2
k= = = 210 .25
4a 4(-1)

The two numbers that will give its maximum possible product are
equal to h.

b 29
h= - =- = 14 .5
2a 2(-1)

2. The sum of two positive integers is 35. What is the minimum sum of their squares?

Solution:

Let x be the first number

35 – x be the second number
y be the sum of their squares
The equation will be…

y = x2 + (35 – x)2

y = x2 + 1225 – 70x + x2
y = 2x2 – 70x + 1225
a = 2, b = - 70, c = 1225

b - 70
h= - =- = 17 .5
2a 2(2)
The result indicates that the minimum will be when the numbers are both 17.5. However,
since the given numbers are integers, one must be 17 and the other 18.

The sum of their squares is…

172 + 182 = 289 + 324

= 613

3. Find the largest area which the farmer can enclose with 56 m of fencing
materials.

Solution:

28 – x

x x

28 – x

Let x be the width

28 – x be the length
y be the area

y = x(28 – x)
y = 28x – x2

The graph of y = 56x – x2 opens downward and has a maximum

value at k and it occurs at h. Since we are looking for the maximum area,
we need to solve for the value of k.

y = 28x – x2 a = - 1, b = 28, c = 0

4ac - b2 4(-1)(0) - 28 2
k= = = 196
4a 4(-1)

The maximum possible area is 196 m2 when l = w = 14 m.

EXERCISES

Analyze and solve.

1. The sum of two positive numbers is 31. Find the minimum possible sum of
their squares.

2. A 100 – m of fencing materials is used to fence a rectangular region.

What dimensions of the rectangle will maximize the area of the region?

3. A ball is thrown vertically upward at an initial speed of 128 ft/s. If the

distance y from the ground t seconds after being thrown is
y = 128t – 16t2 neglecting air resistance, find

a. the maximum height that the ball can reach before beginning to
fall.

b. At what time does it attain its maximum height?

c. After how many seconds will it hit the ground?

4. The heigh h in feet of a ball in t seconds after being tossed upward is

given by the formula h = 84t – 16t2.

a. After how many seconds will it hit the ground?

b. What is the maximum height?

5. What are the dimensions of the largest area of a pen that can be
enclosed by a 64 – m fence?

6. An artist is designing a rectangular stained – glass with a perimeter of

220 cm. Find the maximum area that can be obtained.

7. Harry fires a rocket upward which travels at the speed given by the
equation s(t) = - 16t2 + 725t where s(t) is the height in meters of the
rocket above the ground t seconds after the rocket was fired.

a. How many seconds does it take the rocket to reach its maximum
height?

b. Find the maximum height of the rocket.

c. How long does it take for the rocket to hit the ground?
 8. A rectangular pen, which uses the wall of a house as one side, is
enclosed by 1000 m of fencing.

a. Express the area of the pen as a function of x.

b. Estimate the maximum area of the pen and the dimensions of the
rectangular pen that would give the maximum possible area.

9. A farmer wants to fence off three sides of a rectangular field with

400 – m of fencing. The other side of the rectangle will be a river. If the
enclosed area is to be maximized, find the dimensions of the field.

10. A rectangle has a perimeter of 100 cm. Find the greatest possible area
for the rectangle.

CHAPTER REVIEW

I. Solve for x by FACTORING

1 2 1
1. x2 + 3x + 2 = 0 6. x - x -1 = 0
8 4

2. x2 – 3x = 18 7. 9x2 = 30x – 25

3. x2 – 121 = 0 8. (6x + 1)(x – 2) = 8

4. (x – 1)2 = 2x + 3x – 5 9. 2x(x – 2) = x + 3

5. (x + 5)(x + 3) = 5x + 25 10. (3x – 8)(x + 1) = (x + 1)(x +3)

II. Solve for x using QUADRATIC FORMULA.

1. 8x2 = 2x + 1 6. 3x2 + 7 = 0

2. x(x – 6) = 13 7. 2x2 – x – 2 = 0

3. 2x2 + 5x = - 3 8. x2 = 4x – 5

4. x2 + 3x – 1 = 0 9. 3x(x + 1) = - 2 – x

5. x2 + 5 = 0 10. 2x – 3 = - 5x
III. Find the solution set of the following quadratic inequalities.

1. x2 – 11 < 0 6. x2 – 1 < 0

2. x2 + 4x > 12 7. (3x + 2)2 > 16

3. x2 – 3x – 18 > 0 8. x2 – x – 72 < 0

4. x2 < 25 9. x2 > 15x – 54

5. (x + 5)(x + 3) > 5x + 25 10. x(x + 3) < 10

IV. Transform the following in standard form.

1. y = x2 – 5x + 1 6. y = - 3x2 + x – 1

2. y = 2x + 1 – 3 7. y = 5x2 – 1

3. y = 4 – 2x – 3x2 8. y = 3 – 5x + x2

4. y = x2 – 4 9. y = x2 – 1

5. y = x2 – 4x 10. y = 4x2 – x – 1

V. Transform the following in general form.

1. y = (x – 3)2 + 4 6. y = (x + 6)2 + 3

2. y = - 2(x + 1)2 – 1 7. y = -(x – 1)2 – 3

3. y = (x + 2)2 – 5 8. y = - 3(x + 2)2 – 1

4. y = 3(x – 4)2 + 2 9. y = (x + 5)2 + 2

5. y = - 4(x – 1)2 – 3 10. y = 2(x – 3)2 – 2

VI. Graph the following quadratic functions.

1. y = x2 – x – 4

2. y = x2 – 8

3. y = 9 – x2
 4. y = x2 – 3x – 18

5. y = x2 – 2x – 15

VII. Find the quadratic function determined by each table.

1.
x -2 -1 0 1 2
y -3 -3 -1 3 9

2.
x -2 -1 0 1 2
y 0 -3 -4 -3 0