How many existing methods are there in solving quadratic equations?

Answer 1

There are 5 existing methods in solving quadratic equations. For the first 4 methods (quadratic formula, factoring, graphing, completing the square) you can easily find them in algebra books. I would like to explain here the new one, the Diagonal Sum Method, recently presented in book titled:"New methods for solving quadratic equations and inequalities" (Trafford 2009). It directly gives the 2 roots in the form of 2 fractions, without having to factor the equation. The innovative concept of the method is finding 2 fractions knowing their Sum (-b/a) and their Product (c/a). It is very fast, convenient and is applicable whenever the given quadratic equation is factorable. In general, it is hard to tell in advance if a given quadratic equation can be factored. However, if this new method fails to find the answer, then we can conclude that the equation can not be factored, and consequently, the quadratic formula must be used. This new method can replace the trial-and-error factoring method since it is faster, more convenient, with fewer permutations and fewer trials.