Question

Barry is solving the equation 3x2 - 7x + 12 = 0 using the quadratic formula. He notices that, under the radical, the expression b2 - 4ac will be negative. This indicates that the equation has

Answer 1

... no real roots.

If the Discriminant is less than zero, the roots are complex (that is, using imaginary numbers). Regular folk say such an equation has no solution.

The graph of this equation, a parabola, hovers above the x-axis. The solution of equaling it to 0 would find where it crosses the x-axis, but it doesn't!