ALGEBRA 2

SIMULTANEOUS EQUATIONS USING DETERMINANT METHOD

Solutions Using Determinants with Two Variables

A square array of numbers or variables enclosed between vertical lines is called a determinant. A
determinant is different from a matrix in that a determinant has a numerical value, whereas a matrix does
not. The following determinant has two rows and two columns.

Cramer's Rule: The method of determinants

A system of two equations in two unknowns has this form:

The a's are the coefficients of the x's.  The b's are the coefficients of the y's.  The following is
the matrix of those coefficients.

The number a1b2 − b1a2 is called the determinant of that matrix.

det = a1b2 − b1a2

Let us denote that determinant by D.

Now consider this matrix in which the c's replace the coefficients of the x's:

Then the determinant of that matrix -- which we will call Dx -- is

c1b2 − b1c2
And consider this matrix in which the c's replace the coefficients of the y's:

The determinant of that matrix -- Dy – is a1c2 − c1a2

Cramer's Rule then states the following:

In every system of two equations with two unknowns, the determinant D is not 0,
 Dx
x = 
 D

Dy
y = 
 D

What is determinant?

The value of this determinant is found by finding the difference between the diagonally down product and
the diagonally up product: 

Example

Evaluate the following determinant.

Example

Solve the following system by using determinants.

To solve this system, three determinants are created. One is called the denominator determinant,
labeled D; another is the x‐numerator determinant, labeled Dx; and the third is the y‐numerator
determinant, labeled Dy. The denominator determinant, D, is formed by taking the coefficients
of x and y from the equations written in standard form.

The x‐numerator determinant is formed by taking the constant terms from the system and placing them in
the x‐coefficient positions and retaining the y‐coefficients.

The y‐numerator determinant is formed by taking the constant terms from the system and placing them in
the y‐coefficient positions and retaining the x‐coefficients.
The answers for x and y are as follows:

The check is left to you. The solution is x = –5, y = –2.

Many times, finding solutions by using determinants is referred to as Cramer's Rule, named after the
mathematician who devised this method. Cramer's Rule could hardly be considered a “shortcut,” but it is
a rather neat way to solve systems of equations by using determinants.

Example

Use Cramer's Rule to solve this system.

 
 

The check is left to you. The solution is:   , .

Example 

Use Cramer's Rule to solve this system of equations:

5x + 3y = −11
2x + 4y = −10
Solution.

D = det = 5 · 4 − 3 · 2

  = 20 – 6
  = 14.
 

Dx = det = −11 · 4 − 3 · −10

  = −44 + 30
  = −14.
 

Dy = det = 5 · −10 − (−11) · 2

  = −50 + 22
  = −28.
Therefore,
Dx −14
x =  = = −1.
 D  14
 
Dy −28
y= = = −2.
 D  14

Example:

Use Cramer's Rule to solve these simultaneous equations.

3x − 5y = −31
2x + y = 1
D = det = 3 · 1 − (−5) · 2

  = 3 + 10
  = 13.

Dx = det = −31 · 1 − (−5) · 1

  = −31 + 5
  = −26.
 

Dy = det = 3 · 1 − (−31) · 2

  = 3 + 62
  = 65.
Therefore,
Dx −26
x =  = = −2.
 D  13
 
Dy 65
y= = = 5.
 D 13

When the determinant D is not 0, we say that the equations are linearly independent. In
any system of linearly independent equations, there is one and only one solution.
When the determinant D is 0, then either 1) there is not a unique solution, it is possible to
name many; or 2) there is no solution at all. In case 1), the equations are linearly
dependent. One of them is simply a multiple of the other. For example,
x + y = 3
2x + 2y = 6.  
In case 2), the equations are inconsistent.
x + y = 3
x + y = 4.
Example

Represent this system as a matrix.

 
In the preceding matrix, the dashed line separates the coefficients of the variables from the constants in
each equation. Through the use of row multiplication and row additions, the goal is to transform the
preceding matrix into the following form.

The matrix method is the same as the elimination method but more organized.

Example

Solve this system by using matrices.

Multiply 2 times row 1 and –5 times row 2; then add:   

This matrix now represents the system 

Therefore,  y = 1

Now, substitute 1 for y in the other equation and solve for x.

Check the solution.

The solution is x = 3, y = 1.

Matrices are a more time‐consuming method of solving systems of linear equations than either the
elimination or substitution methods. They only become a time‐saving method when solving multiple
equations in multiple variables that are repeatedly equated to different sets of constants. Don't worry;
you won't have to do those this year. Still, you should know that they are an alternative method of solving
linear equation systems.

FACTORING QUADRATICS

To "Factor" or "Factorize” a Quadratic is to find what to multiply to get the Quadratic. It is called
"Factoring" because we find the factors (a factor is something we multiply by)

Example:

Multiplying (x+4) and (x−1) together (called Expanding) gets x2 + 3x − 4:

So (x+4) and (x−1) are factors of x2 + 3x − 4

Just to be sure, let us check:

(x+4)(x−1) = x(x−1) + 4(x−1)

 = x2 − x + 4x – 4

= x2 + 3x − 4 

Yes, (x+4) and (x−1) are definitely factors of x2 + 3x − 4

Did you see that Expanding and Factoring are opposites?

Expanding is usually easy, but Factoring can often be tricky.

It is like trying to find which ingredients

went into a cake to make it so delicious.
It can be hard to figure out!

So let us try an example where we don't know the factors yet:

Common Factor

First check if there any common factors.

Example:

What are the factors of 6x2 − 2x = 0?

6 and 2 have a common factor of 2:

2(3x2 − x) = 0

And x2 and x have a common factor of x:

2x(3x − 1) = 0

And we have done it! The factors are 2x and 3x − 1,

 We can now also find the roots (where it equals zero):

 2x is 0 when x = 0
 3x − 1 is zero when x = ⅓

And this is the graph (see how it is zero at x=0 and x=⅓):
But it is not always that easy...

Guess and Check

Maybe we can guess an answer?

Example: what are the factors of 2x2 + 7x + 3? No common factors. Let us try to guess an answer, and
then check if we are right ... we might get lucky!

We could guess (2x+3)(x+1):

(2x+3)(x+1) = 2x2 + 2x + 3x + 3
= 2x2 + 5x + 3 (wrong)

How about (2x+7)(x−1):

(2x+7)(x−1) = 2x2 − 2x + 7x − 7
= 2x2 + 5x − 7 (wrong again)

OK, how about (2x+9)(x−1):

(2x+9)(x−1) = 2x2 − 2x + 9x − 9
= 2x2 + 7x − 9 (wrong again)

Oh No! We could be guessing for a long time before we get lucky. That is not a very good method. So let
us try something else.

Method for Simple Cases

Luckily there is a method that works in simple cases. With the quadratic equation in this form:

Step 1: Find two numbers that multiply to give ac (in other words a times c), and add to give b.

Example:

2x2 + 7x + 3
ac is 2×3 = 6 and b is 7. So we want two numbers that multiply together to make 6, and add up to 7. In
fact 6 and 1 do that (6 × 1 = 6, and 6 + 1 = 7)

How do we find 6 and 1? It helps to list the factors of ac = 6, and then try adding some to get b = 7.
Factors of 6 include 1, 2, 3 and 6.
Aha! 1 and 6 add to 7, and 6 × 1 = 6.

Step 2: Rewrite the middle with those numbers: Rewrite 7x with 6x and 1x:

2x2 + 6x + x + 3

Step 3: Factor the first two and last two terms separately: The first two terms 2x2 6x factor into 2x(x+3).
The last two terms x+3 don't actually change in this case

So we get:

2x(x+3) + (x+3)

Step 4: If we've done this correctly, our two new terms should have a clearly visible common factor. In
this case we can see that (x+3) is common to both terms, so we can go:

Start with: 2x(x+3) + (x+3)

Which is: 2x(x+3) + 1(x+3)
And so: (2x+1)(x+3)

Done!

Check: (2x+1)(x+3)

= 2x2 + 6x + x + 3

= 2x2 + 7x + 3 (Yes)

Much better than guessing!

Let's see Steps 1 to 4 again, in one go:

2x2 + 7x + 3

2x2 + 6x + x + 3

2x(x+3) + (x+3)

2x(x+3) + 1(x+3)

(2x+1)(x+3)
Example

6x2 + 5x − 6

Step 1: ac is 6 × (−6) = −36, and b is 5

List the positive factors of ac = −36: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36.

One of the numbers has to be negative to make −36, so by playing with a few different numbers I find
that −4 and 9 work nicely: −4×9 = −36 and −4+9 = 5 

Step 2: Rewrite 5x with −4x and 9x: 6x2 − 4x + 9x − 6

Step 3: Factor first two and last two: 2x(3x − 2) + 3(3x − 2)

Step 4: Common Factor is (3x − 2): (2x+3)(3x − 2)

 Check: (2x+3)(3x − 2)

= 6x2 − 4x + 9x − 6

= 6x2 + 5x − 6 (Yes)

 Finding the Numbers

The hardest part is finding two numbers that multiply to give ac, and add to give b. It is partly guesswork,
and it helps to list out all the factors. Here is another example to help you:

Example:

ac = −120 and b = 7

What two numbers multiply to −120 and add to 7? The factors of 120 are (plus and minus):

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 24, 30, 40, 60, and 120

We can try pairs of factors (start near the middle!) and see if they add to 7:

 −10 x 12 = −120, and −10+12 = 2 (no)

 −8 x 15 = −120 and −8+15 = 7 (YES!)

Why Factor?

Well, one of the big benefits of factoring is that we can find the roots of the quadratic equation (where the
equation is zero). All we need to do (after factoring) is find where each of the two factors becomes zero.

Example:
What are the roots (zeros) of 6x2 + 5x − 6?

We already know (from above) the factors are (2x + 3)(3x − 2). We can figure out that (2x + 3) is zero
when x = −3/2 and (3x − 2) is zero when x = 2/3.

So the roots of 6x2 + 5x − 6 are: −3/2 and 2/3

Here is a plot of 6x2 + 5x − 6, can you see where it equals zero?

And we can also check it using a bit of arithmetic:

At x = - 3/2: 6(-3/2)2 + 5(-3/2) - 6

= 6×(9/4) - 15/2 - 6 = 54/4 - 15/2 - 6 = 6-6 = 0

At x = 2/3: 6(2/3)2 + 5(2/3) - 6 = 6×(4/9) + 10/3 - 6 = 24/9 + 10/3 - 6 = 6-6 = 0

COMPLETING THE SQUARE

"Completing the Square" is where we...

... take a Quadratic Equation and turn it

like this: into this:

ax2 + bx + c = 0 a(x+d)2 + e = 0

For those of you in a hurry, I can tell you that: d = b2a

and e = c − b24a

But if you have time, let me show you how to "Complete the Square" yourself. Say we have a simple
expression like x2 + bx. Having x twice in the same expression can make life hard. What can we do?

Well, with a little inspiration from Geometry we can convert it, like this:
As you can see x2 + bx can be rearranged nearly into a square...... and we can complete the
square with (b/2)2

In Algebra it looks like this:

x2 + bx + (b/2)2 = (x+b/2)2

  "Complete the Square"    

So, by adding (b/2)2 we can complete the square, and (x+b/2)2 has x only once, which is easier to use.

Keeping the Balance: Now ... we can't just add (b/2)2 without also subtracting it too! Otherwise the
whole value changes. So let's see how to do it properly with an example:

Start with:  

  ("b" is 6 in this case)

Complete the Square:

Also subtract the new term

Simplify it and we are done.

The result:
x2 + 6x + 7   =   (x+3)2 − 2
And now x only appears once, and our job is done!
A Shortcut Approach

Here is a quick way to get an answer. You may like this method. First think about the result we
want: (x+d)2 + e. After expanding (x+d)2 we get: x2 + 2dx + d2 + e

Now see if we can turn our example into that form to discover d and e

Example: try to fit x2 + 6x + 7 into x2 + 2dx + d2 + e

Now we can "force" an answer:

 We know that 6x must end up as 2dx, so d must be 3

 Next we see that 7 must become d2 + e = 9 + e, so e must be −2

And we get the same result (x+3)2 − 2 as above!

Now, let us look at a useful application. We can complete the square to solve a Quadratic Equation (find
where it is equal to zero).

But a general Quadratic Equation can have a coefficient of a in front of x2:

ax2 + bx + c = 0

But that is easy to deal with ... just divide the whole equation by "a" first, then carry on:

x2 + (b/a)x + c/a = 0

Summary of Steps
Now we can solve a Quadratic Equation in 5 steps:

 Step 1 Divide all terms by a (the coefficient of x2).

 Step 2 Move the number term (c/a) to the right side of the equation.
 Step 3 Complete the square on the left side of the equation and balance this by adding the same
value to the right side of the equation.

We now have something that looks like (x + p)2 = q, which can be solved rather easily:
  Step 4 Take the square root on both sides of the equation.

 Step 5 Subtract the number that remains on the left side of the equation to find x.

Example:

Solve x2 + 4x + 1 = 0

Step 1 can be skipped in this example since the coefficient of x 2 is 1

Step 2 Move the number term to the right side of the equation:

x2 + 4x = -1

Step 3 Complete the square on the left side of the equation and balance this by adding the same number
to the right side of the equation.

(b/2)2 = (4/2)2 = 22 = 4

x2 + 4x + 4 = -1 + 4
(x + 2)2 = 3

Step 4 Take the square root on both sides of the equation:

x + 2 = ±√3 = ±1.73 (to 2 decimals)

Step 5 Subtract 2 from both sides:

x = ±1.73 – 2 = -3.73 or -0.27

And here is an interesting and useful thing.

At the end of step 3 we had the equation:

 
2
(x + 2)  = 3

It gives us the vertex (turning point) of x2 + 4x + 1: (-2, -3)

 Example:

Solve 5x2 – 4x – 2 = 0

Step 1 Divide all terms by 5

x2 – 0.8x – 0.4 = 0

Step 2 Move the number term to the right side of the equation:

x2 – 0.8x = 0.4

Step 3 Complete the square on the left side of the equation and balance this by adding the same number
to the right side of the equation:

(b/2)2 = (0.8/2)2 = 0.42 = 0.16

x2 – 0.8x + 0.16 = 0.4 + 0.16

(x – 0.4)2 = 0.56

Step 4 Take the square root on both sides of the equation:

x – 0.4 = ±√0.56 = ±0.748 (to 3 decimals)

Step 5 Subtract (-0.4) from both sides (in other words, add 0.4):

x = ±0.748 + 0.4 = -0.348 or 1.148

Why "Complete the Square"?

Why complete the square when we can just use the Quadratic Formula to solve a Quadratic Equation?
Well, one reason is given above, where the new form not only shows us the vertex, but makes it easier to
solve.

There are also times when the form ax2 + bx + c may be part of a larger question and rearranging it
as a(x+d)2 + e makes the solution easier, because x only appears once. For example "x" may itself be a
function (like cos(z)) and rearranging it may open up a path to a better solution.

Footnote: Values of "d" and "e"

How did I get the values of d and e from the top of the page?

Start with

Divide the equation by a

Put c/a on other side

Add (b/2a)2 to both sides

 
 "Complete the Square"

Now bring everything back...

... to the left side

... to the original multiple a of x2

And you will notice that we have:

a(x+d)2 + e = 0
Where: d = b2a
and: e = c − b24a Just like at the top of the page!

SOLUTIONS USING GRAPHING WITH TWO VARIABLES.

Example

Solve this system of equations by graphing.

To solve using graphing, graph both equations on the same set of coordinate axes and see where the
graphs cross. The ordered pair at the point of intersection becomes the solution (see Figure 1).

The solution is x = 3, y = –2.

 Figure 1. Two linear equations.

Check the solution.

Solving systems of equations by graphing is

limited to equations in which the solution lies
close to the origin and consists of integers;
even then, that solution is an approximation
solved by eyeballing. For those reasons,
graphing is used least frequently of all the
solution methods.

Here are two things to keep in mind:

 Dependent system. If the two graphs coincide—that is, if they are actually two versions of the
same equation—then the system is called a dependent system, and its solution can be expressed
as either of the two original equations.

 Inconsistent system. If the two graphs are parallel—that is, if there is no point of intersection—
then the system is called an inconsistent system, and its solution is expressed as an empty set {},
or the null set, ⊘.

Transformations of the quadratic function

A quadratic function can exist in three forms:

1. The general (polynomial) form: y = ax2 + bx + c

2. The turning point form: y = a(x - h)2 + k
3. Factorized form: y = a(x - m)(x - n)

The most useful form is the turning point form when we discuss transformations. Consider the turning
point form:

y = a(x – h)2 + k

We can consider the effects of each parameter (a, h and k) on the graph of the parabola.
 a will cause a dilation by a factor of a from the x-axis.
 h will cause a horizontal translation of h units.
 k will cause a vertical translation of k units.

Before discussing the transformations of a quadratic, always make sure it is in turning point form. If it is
not in turning point form, you need to first complete the square on the general form.

Examining the individual effects of a, h and k

The effects of the parameter a

The graph below show the effect of a on the graph of y = ax2.

Figure 2 - The effect of a on the graph y = ax2.

From the graph above we can see that:

 When a > 0 (positive) the parabola is concave up.
 If 0 < a < 1 the parabola is concave up and rises slowly (graph is broader).
 If a > 1 the graph is concave up and rises steeply (graph is narrower).
 When a < 0 (negative) the parabola is concave down.
 If - 1 < a < 0 the parabola is concave down and falls slowly (graph is broader).
 If a < - 1 the parabola concave down and falls steeply (graph is narrower).

a causes a dilation by a factor of a from the x-axis.

 The effects of the parameter h
The graph below show the effect of h on the graph of y = (x - h)2.

Figure 2 - The effect of h on the graph y = (x - h)2.

From the graph above we can see that:

 When h > 0 (positive) the parabola translated h units in the negative x-direction.
 When h < 0 (negative) the parabola translated h units in the positive x-direction.

The effects of the parameter k

The graph below show the effect of k on the graph of y = x2 + k.
 Figure 2 - The effect of k on the graph y = x2 + k.

From the graph above we can see that:

 When k > 0 (positive) the parabola translated h units in the positive y-direction.
 When k < 0 (negative) the parabola translated h units in the negative y-direction.

Examining the combined effects of a, h and k

When graphing quadratics (parabolas), we need to show clearly:

 x-intercepts (if there are any).
 y-intercepts.
 The turning point.
 Figure 1 - The graph of y = x2 + 2x - 8 with key features labelled.

Method: Graphing quadratics

Step 1: Find the y-intercept

 If the equation is in the general from (ax2 + bx + c) then the y-intercept is (0, c).
 If the equation is not in the general form, let x = 0 and solve for y.

Step 2: Find the x-intercept

 The easiest way to find the x-intercepts is to get the quadratic into factorized form and let
y = 0. The null factor law can then be used to solve the quadratic equation for x.
 If the equation cannot be easily factorized, then the general quadratic formula can be used to find
the x-intercepts. When the equation is in the general form (ax2 + bx + c), the general quadratic formula
states:

 Remember: you can use the discriminant (Δ) to determine how many x-intercepts exist:

Step 3: Find the turning point

 The easiest way to find the turning point is when the quadratic is in turning point form
(y = a(x - h)2 + k), where (h, k) is the turning point. To get a quadratic into turning point
form you need to complete the square
 Otherwise, you can use the axis of symmetry to determine the x-coordinate of the turning
point, the y-coordinate can be found by substituting the x-coordinate into the quadratic equation. The axis
of symmetry is given by:
Δ = b2 – 4ac
x = -b/2a

 Finally, you can use differential calculus (to be covered later) to determine the stationary
point of the quadratic which is the turning point of a parabola.

Step 4: Draw a parabola through points from (1) - (3) on a set of axes
 Locate each of the points found in step (1), (2) and (3) on a set of axes.
 Determine if the parabola is positive or negative from the value of a in the general form

Figure 2 - The general shape of a positive and negative parabola.

 The three points plotted from step (1), (2) and (3) should guide you to the overall shape of the
parabola; however, it is always a good idea to know what shape you should expect.

Step 5: Label all points with their coordinates

Lastly, and most importantly, ensure all the important features of the graph have been labelled with their
coordinates. Remember the important features are:
 x-intercepts (if there are any).
 y-intercepts
 The turning point.

y= -x2+3

y=x2+2

y=x2

All of these equations are quadratics but they all have different roots. But what is a root??
A root is the x value when the y value = 0. It’s where the graph crosses the x axis. Because y=x 2+2 does
not cross the x axis it does not have any roots. This is easy to see graphically! Equally if we have a graph
we can simply read off the coordinates that cross the x axis to estimate the roots.

To work this out algebraically however we use part of the quadratic formula: b2 -4ac

If b2 - 4ac = 0 then there will be one real root, one place where the graph crosses the x axis e.g. y = x 2

If b2 - 4ac > 0 There will be two real roots, like y = -x2+3

If b2 - 4ac < 0 there won’t be any real roots, like y = x2+2

We can show this algebraically as well:

Remembering that ax2+ bx + c is the standard format of quadratic equations.

For y = x2  a=1 b=0 c=0

b2 - 4ac

02 – 4 (1) (0) = 0

0 - 0 = 0 therefore there is one real root.

For y = -x2 + 3 a = -1 b = 0 c=3

b2 - 4ac

= 02 - 4(-1) (3) = 12

12 >0 so there are two real root.

For y=x2+2 a=1 b=0 c=2

02 - 4(1) (2) = -12

-12 < 0 therefore there are no real roots.

Given that the roots are where the graph crosses the x axis, y must be equal to 0. With this knowledge we
can find roots of quadratic equations algebraically by factorizing quadratics. For example, if we have the
graph y = x2 + x + 6, to find our roots we need to make y = 0.

Therefore 0 = x2 + x + 6
Factorize 0 = (x+3) (x-2)

So each bracket must at some point be equal to 0

0 = (x+3), -3 = x

0 = (x-2), 2 = x

Identifying turning points

The turning point of a graph is where the curve in the graph turns. The turning point will always be the
minimum or the maximum value of your graph. To find the turning point of a quadratic equation we need
to remember a couple of things:

1. The parabola ( the curve) is symmetrical

2. If we know the x value we can work out the y value!

So remember these key facts, the first thing we need to do is to work out the x value of the turning point.

Example

y = x2 + x + 6

Step 1: Find the roots of your quadratic - do this by factorizing and equating y to 0. (Exactly as we did
above with identifying roots)

Therefore 0 = y = x2 + x + 6

Factorize 0 = (x+3) (x-2)

So each bracket must at some point be equal to 0

0 = (x+3), -3 = x

0 = (x-2), 2=x

Step 2: Find the average of the two roots to get the midpoint of the parabola. This will give us the x value
of our turning point!

-3 + 2 / 2 = -½

Therefore x = -½.

Step 3: Substitute x into the original formula to find the value of y.

y= (-½)2 -½ - 6

=¼ -½ - 6
= -6.25

Summary

 Quadratic Equation in Standard Form: ax2 + bx + c = 0

 Quadratic Equations can be factored

 Quadratic Formula: x = −b ± √(b2 − 4ac)/2a

 When the Discriminant (b2−4ac) is:

o positive, there are 2 real solutions
o zero, there is one real solution
o negative, there are 2 complex solutions

The simplest Quadratic Equation is: f(x) = x2

And its graph is simple too: This is the curve f(x) = x2

It is a parabola.

Now let us see what happens when we introduce the "a" value:

f(x) = ax2

 Larger values of a squash the curve inwards

 Smaller values of a expand it outwards
 And negative values of a flip it upside down

The "General" Quadratic

Before graphing we rearrange the equation, from this:

f(x) = ax2 + bx + c

To this:

f(x) = a(x-h)2 + k

Where: h = −b/2a

 k = f(h)

In other words, calculate h (= −b/2a), then find k by calculating the whole equation for x = h. The
wonderful thing about this new form is that h and k show us the very lowest (or very highest) point, called
the vertex. And also the curve is symmetrical (mirror image) about the axis that passes through x=h,
making it easy to graph. So …

 h shows us how far left (or right) the curve has been shifted from x=0
 k shows us how far up (or down) the curve has been shifted from y=0

Let’s see an example of how to do this:

Example:

Plot f(x) = 2x2 − 12x + 16

First, let's note down:

 a = 2,
 b = −12, and
 c = 16

Now, what do we know?

 a is positive, so it is an "upwards" graph ("U" shaped)

 a is 2, so it is a little "squashed" compared to the x2 graph

Next, let's calculate h:

h = −b/2a = − (−12)/(2x2) = 3

And next we can calculate k (using h=3):

k = f(3) = 2(3)2 − 12·3 + 16

= 18−36+16 = −2

So now we can plot the graph (with real understanding!):

We also know: the vertex is (3,−2), and the axis is x = 3.

From A Graph to the Equation

What if we have a graph, and want to find an equation?

Example:

You have just plotted some interesting data, and it looks Quadratic:

Just knowing those two points we can come up with an equation.

Firstly, we know h and k (at the vertex):

(h, k) = (1, 1)

So let's put that into this form of the equation:

f(x) = a(x-h)2 + k

f(x) = a(x−1)2 + 1

Then we calculate "a":

We know the point (0, 1.5) so: f(0) = 1.5

And a(x−1)2 + 1 at x=0 is: f(0) = a(0−1)2 + 1
They are both f(0) so make them equal: a(0−1)2 + 1 = 1.5
Simplify: a + 1 = 1.5
 a = 0.5

And so here is the resulting Quadratic Equation:

f(x) = 0.5(x−1)2 + 1