quadratic

We talked about the power of polynomials and solved quadratic equations together.

These days most students take the math course when they are high school freshmen — remember the quadratic formula? — but top-achieving students are sometimes offered the chance to take algebra a year earlier, in eighth grade.

Our high-school nightmares are graffitied with formulas and calculus and quadratic equations, panicked pop quizzes corrected with a harsh red pen.

One especially influential Indian mathematician was Brahmagupta, whose algebraic techniques could handle any quadratic equation.

“If all I find is that the extraterrestrials know quadratic equations, I’m going to be very disappointed,” Vakoch says.