What is the solution (not answer) to (not too) x^2 - 3x + 5 = 0? This is a quadratic equation. Two possible approches to solving it are 1) quadratic formula, and 2) completing the square.
Let's use the quadratic formula:
a=1, b= -3, c = 5
Then -(-3) plus or minus sqrt( [-3]^2 - 4(1)(5) ) x = -------------------------------------------------------- 2 3 plus or minus sqrt(9-20) 3 plus or minus i*sqrt(11) = ------------------------------------- = ------------------------------------ 2
Please note: These are complex roots, due to the " i ".