Date ___________________

Dear Family,

In Chapter 5, your child will graph quadratic functions, solve quadratic

equations and inequalities, and learn to operate with complex numbers.
Y
A quadratic function is one in which the variable 

is squared. The parent quadratic function is f  x   x 2, which YX 


forms as a U-shaped parabola with vertex  0, 0 .


The parent function can be transformed to form a variety of 

parabolas. Vertex form helps you identify transformations. X

                



vertex form: f  x   a  x  h   k
2



YX 

a indicates a reflection
across the x-axis and/or h indicates k indicates
a vertical stretch or a horizontal a vertical y  3 x  42  6
compression. translation. translation. was stretched vertically
by a factor of 3, and
A quadratic function may also be in standard form, which helps the vertex is translated
identify other properties of the parabola, such as the y-intercept to  4, 6 .
(the coefficient c).

standard form: f  x   ax  bx  c
2

Y

The x-intercepts of a parabola are input values of x that make
the output of f  x   ax 2  bx  c equal to zero. Hence, the 

x-intercepts are also called zeros. You can find the zeros of a 
function by graphing it. X
          



YX X 
quadratic function: f  x   x  2x  8
2

From the graph, the zeros are x  2 and x  4. 





Closely related to a quadratic function is the quadratic equation

ax  bx  c  0. The solutions to a quadratic equation are
2

called roots. You can find roots by factoring and using the
Zero Product Property. The roots are equivalent to the zeros.

quadratic equation: x 2  2x  8  0
x  2  x  4   0 Zero Product Property
x  2  0 or x  4  0 If two quantities multiply to zero,
x  2 or x  4 then at least one is zero.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

All rights reserved. 1 Holt Algebra 2
Many quadratic expressions are trinomials (contain three terms) that
factor into two binomials (contain two terms). If the two binomial factors
are identical, the original expression is called a perfect-square trinomial.

x  10x  25   x  5   x  5    x  5  2
2

144424443
perfect-square trinomial

Completing the square is a method of solving a quadratic equation by

making a perfect-square trinomial. Then you use a square root to solve.

Solve x 2 ⴙ 6x ⴝ 1.
x  6x  9  1  9 9 makes x 2  6x a perfect-square.
2

 x  3  2  10 Factor the left side.


x  3  10 Take the square root of both sides.

x  3  10 Solve for x.

If you complete the square for the general equation ax 2  bx  c  0, you

get the Quadratic Formula:

If ax 2  bx  c  0, then the solutions are x  b b  4ac .
2
_______________
2a
Y

Some quadratic functions, such as f  x   x  4, have no
2 

x-intercepts. Likewise, the equation 0  x  4 has no real roots
2


because you get x   4 . The square root of a negative number 
YX 

is called an imaginary number, and the imaginary unit is 

i   1 . So, 0  x  4 does have two imaginary roots, x  2i.
2 


X
            

A complex number is one that can be written in the form a  bi. 
For example, in 7  2i, the real part is 7 and the imaginary part is
2i. Complex numbers can be graphed in the complex plane (which has
a real axis and an imaginary axis), and they can be added, subtracted,
multiplied, divided, or raised to powers.
Y


Quadratic inequalities in two variables, such as y  2x  5x  2,

2 


are graphed similar to linear inequalities in two variables: solid or

dashed boundary line with shading above or below. Quadratic 
inequalities in one variable are graphed on a number line.           
X




YXX
Quadratic equations have many real-world applications, such as the 


height of a projectile (an object that is thrown or launched) as

gravity acts on it over time. If the data isn’t perfectly quadratic, you
might use regression to find a best-fit quadratic model.

For additional resources, visit go.hrw.com and enter the keyword

MB7 Parent.

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

All rights reserved. 2 Holt Algebra 2