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    NancyD92's Avatar
    NancyD92 Posts: 28, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Aug 20, 2008, 05:53 PM
    Polynomial Functions = Nightmare
    Okay, my pre-calculus teacher isn't very good at explaining things. We're working on graphing polynomial functions, and he went on about them. Unfortunately half the class didn't understand a word he said. So, I would like somebody to guide me through a sample problem (please be very specific, and use visual examples; that's how I learn):

    y = x^2 - 4x

    X^2 is X to the second power, if that helps.
    galactus's Avatar
    galactus Posts: 2,271, Reputation: 282
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    #2

    Aug 21, 2008, 02:18 PM
    What are you supposed to do? If it is just graphing. Well, whip out the calculator and graph it.

    It is a parabola with vertex at (2,-4) and is concave up. If the x^2 term is positive, then it is concave up. If it is negative, then concave down.

    We can find the vertex by using

    Where a=1 (the coefficient of the leading term) and b=-4 (the coefficient of the linear term or x term).



    Plug that back in to find y...

    There we go for the vertex.
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