What is the vertex of y= 2x^2 - 4x + 3?

1 Answer
Nov 26, 2015

color(purple)((x_("vertex"), y_("vertex")) = (-1,9))

Explanation:

Given: y=2x^2-4x+3.............................(1)

Let the coordinates of the vertex be (x_("vertex"), y_("vertex"))
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color(white)(.........................)color(green)(" Preamble")

There are two ways of doing this.

It looks as though the fashionable way at the moment is 'completing the square' alternatively known as a 'vertex equation'.

The other, which I am going to show you, is the basis upon which completing the square is built on.
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color(Blue)(underline(Stepcolor(white)(.)1))

Write the given equation in the form of:
y=2(x^2-2x+3/2)

I have made it such that I have a part that starts with x^2

We now look at the part inside the brackets of -2x

We then do this: -1/2xx-2=-1 ignoring the variable x

We have now found color(green)(x_("vertex")=-1)....................(2)

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color(Blue)(underline(Stepcolor(white)(.)2))

Substitute (2) into (1) giving:

y_("vertex")=2(-1)^2-4(-1)+3

y_("vertex")=2+4+3

color(green)(y_("vertex")=9)
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color(purple)((x_("vertex"), y_("vertex")) = (-1,9))

Tony B