HSC Supplementary Notes No.

2 (Advanced Mathematics) © Des Wann

The Nature of the Roots of Quadratic Equations

In everyday life we are quite used to classifying objects in a variety of ways. For
example, I have an extensive library and might classify it in the following way:

BOOKS → FICTION → LITERATURE

SCIENCE FICTION

NON-FICTION → MATHEMATICS
PHYSICS
HISTORY

When classifying the roots of a quadratic equation (‘finding the nature of the roots’) we
can apply a similar idea:

ROOTS → REAL → RATIONAL EQUAL

→
IRRATIONAL UNEQUAL

UNREAL (no further analysis is made for this classification)

One way of determining the nature of the roots is to find the roots and state their nature
according to the table above. Using the examples in Supplementary Notes No.1:

1) x 2 ! 2x ! 3 = 0 has the roots x = –1 and x = 3.

Hence the roots are real, rational and unequal.

2) x 2 ! 4x + 2 = 0 has the roots x = 2 + 2 and x = 2 ! 2 .

Hence the roots are real, irrational and unequal.

3) x 2 ! 6x + 9 = 0 has the roots x = 3 and x = 3.

Hence the roots are real, rational and equal.

5 ± !7
4) x 2 ! 5x + 8 = 0 has the roots x = .
2
Hence the roots are unreal.
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HSC Supplementary Notes No. 2 (Advanced Mathematics) © Des Wann

Another (and more useful) way of determining the nature of the roots is to take a closer
look at the ‘quadratic formula’:

!b ± b 2 ! 4ac
x=
2a

Everything about the roots can be found just from the part underneath the square root
sign, That is, the expression b 2 ! 4ac . This expression is called the discriminant and is
often written with the Greek letter delta (Δ) thus:

! = b 2 " 4ac

Depending on the value for Δ we can make our deductions about the nature of the roots.

1) 2x 2 ! x + 1 = 0 .
! = b 2 " 4ac
! " = (#1)2 # 4 $ 2 $ 1
! " = #7
Because Δ is the value under the square root sign, and we know we cannot find
the square root of a negative number, this means the roots must be unreal.

2) x 2 + 4x + 4 = 0 .
! = b 2 " 4ac
! " = 42 # 4 $ 4 $ 1
!" = 0
When take the square root we will also get 0 and hence the roots will be
!b ± 0
x= . A little thought allows us to deduce that the roots must be now real,
2a
rational and equal.

3) x2 ! x ! 1 = 0 .
! = b 2 " 4ac
! " = (#1)2 # 4 $ 1 $ (#1)
!" = 5
Because we cannot get a rational result for 5 (5 is not a perfect square), and we
would be using ± 5 in the formula, we can deduce that the roots here are real,
irrational and unequal.

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HSC Supplementary Notes No. 2 (Advanced Mathematics) © Des Wann

4) 2x 2 + 5x ! 12 = 0 .
! = b 2 " 4ac
! " = 5 2 # 4 $ 2 $ (#12)
! " = 121
Since 121 is a perfect square ( 121 = 11 ) then the roots must be real, rational
and unequal.

The above examples illustrate how to determine the nature of the roots according to the
value obtained for the discriminant. If we summarise these ideas into the following table
we can proceed to determine the nature of the roots quickly.

________________________________________________________

REAL RATIONAL EQUAL

!"0 Δ is a perfect square Δ=0
→ or → or
IRRATIONAL UNEQUAL
Δ is not a perfect square !"0

________________________________________________________

UNREAL
Δ<0
________________________________________________________

1) x 2 ! 5x + 6 = 0
! = b 2 " 4ac real (Δ ≥ 0)
! " = (#5)2 # 4 $ 1 $ 6 rational (Δ = perfect square)
! " = 49 unequal (Δ ≠ 0)

2) 4x 2 ! 12x + 9 = 0
! = b 2 " 4ac real (Δ ≥ 0)
! " = (#12)2 # 4 $ 4 $ 9 rational (Δ = perfect square)
!" = 0 equal (Δ = 0)
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HSC Supplementary Notes No. 2 (Advanced Mathematics) © Des Wann

3) x 2 ! 3x ! 5 = 0
! = b 2 " 4ac real (Δ ≥ 0)
! " = (#3)2 # 4 $ 1 $ (#5) irrational (Δ ≠ perfect square)
! " = 29 unequal (Δ ≠ 0)

4) x 2 + 10 = 0
! = b 2 " 4ac
! " = 0 2 # 4 $ 1 $ 10 unreal (Δ < 0)
! " = # 40

Another type of question applying this concept requires finding values which fit a
specific condition.

5) For what of value of k does x 2 ! 4x + k = 0 have equal roots?

! = b 2 " 4ac
! " = (#4)2 # 4 $ 1 $ k
! " = 16 # 4k
If the roots are equal then Δ = 0.
!16 " 4k = 0
!k = 4

6) For what values of k does kx 2 ! kx + 3 = 0 have equal roots?

! = b 2 " 4ac
! " = (#k)2 # 4 $ k $ 3
! " = k 2 # 12k
If the roots are equal then Δ = 0.
! k 2 " 12k = 0
! k(k " 12) = 0
! k = 0 or k = 12

However, if k = 0, then our quadratic would be 0 ! x 2 " 0 ! x + 3 = 0 # 3 = 0!

! k = 12 is the only value.

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HSC Supplementary Notes No. 2 (Advanced Mathematics) © Des Wann

7) For what values of k does x 2 ! 2kx + 16 = 0 have unreal roots?

! = b 2 " 4ac
! " = (#2k)2 # 4 $ 1 $ 8
! " = 4k 2 # 64
If the roots are unreal then Δ < 0.
! 4k 2 " 16 < 0
! 4(k 2 " 16) < 0
! 4(k + 4)(k " 4) < 0
We can solve this inequality on a number line
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

! "4 < k < 4

(Had the question asked what integer values satisfied then these would be
k = –3 , –2 , –1 , 0 , 1 , 2 , 3.)

8) For what values of k does the quadratic equation x 2 + (k + 1)x ! 2k + 3 = 0

have real roots?

! = b 2 " 4ac
! " = (k + 1)2 # 4 $ 1 $ (#2k + 3)
! " = k 2 + 2k + 1 + 8k # 12
! " = k 2 + 10k # 11
If the roots are real then Δ ≥ 0.
! k 2 + 10k " 11 # 0
!(k " 1)(k + 11) # 0

-12 -11 -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2

! k " #11 or k $ 1

Let’s now examine what implications this quadratic theory has concerning the behaviour
of the graph of a quadratic function.

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HSC Supplementary Notes No. 2 (Advanced Mathematics) © Des Wann

You will remember that the graph of any quadratic function y = ax 2 + bx + c is a

parabola (see Supplementary Notes No.1). Previously we saw how the way the parabola
intersects with the x-axis tells us if the corresponding quadratic equation has real or
unreal roots.

Shown below are the graphs of two parabolas that do not intersect with the x-axis.
Immediately we can conclude that Δ < 0 in both instances because the associated
quadratic equations would have unreal roots. Since Graph 1 lies entirely above the x-axis
every y-value on the graph is positive. Similarly, on Graph 2 every y-value is negative.
For these reasons the quadratic functions are classified as positive definite and negative
definite respectively.

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HSC Supplementary Notes No. 2 (Advanced Mathematics) © Des Wann

On the other hand, if Δ ≥ 0, then the roots of the associated quadratic equation will be
real and hence the graph of the quadratic function must have contact with the x-axis
(either in one point or two points). The quadratic function is then classified as indefinite.

Summary A quadratic function is

POSITIVE DEFINITE when a > 0 and Δ < 0

NEGATIVE DEFINITE when a < 0 and Δ < 0

INDEFINITE when Δ≥0

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