discriminant, in mathematics, a parameter of an object or system calculated as an aid to its classification or solution. In the case of a quadratic equation ax2 + bx + c = 0, the discriminant is b2 − 4ac; for a cubic equation x3 + ax2 + bx + c = 0, the discriminant is a2b2 + 18abc − 4b3 − 4a3c − 27c2. The roots of a quadratic or cubic equation with real coefficients are real and distinct if the discriminant is positive, are real with at least two equal if the discriminant is zero, and include a conjugate pair of complex roots if the discriminant is negative. A discriminant can be found for the general quadratic, or conic, equation ax2 + bxy + cy2 + dx + ey + f = 0; it indicates whether the conic represented is an ellipse, a hyperbola, or a parabola.
Discriminants also are defined for elliptic curves, finite field extensions, quadratic forms, and other mathematical entities. The discriminants of differential equations are algebraic equations that reveal information about the families of solutions of the original equations.