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Re: calculate vertex of a parabola

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg112742] Re: calculate vertex of a parabola
• From: Helen Read <readhpr at gmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2010 04:12:35 -0400 (EDT)
• References: <i7sen7$ppb$1@smc.vnet.net>

On 9/28/2010 6:06 AM, Murray Eisenberg wrote:
> In his "Presentations" add-on application, David Park has a function
> CompleteTheSquare that can save you the effort of carrying out the
> manipulations:
>
>     <<Presentations`
>
>     CompleteTheSquare[a x^2 + b x + c, x] // InputForm
> -b^2/(4*a) + c + a*(b/(2*a) + x)^2


Personally, I'd like my students to understand how to do it the more 
effortful way :-)

--
Helen Read
University of Vermont

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: calculate vertex of a parabola
    • From: Murray Eisenberg <murray@math.umass.edu>