Directory
References

solution

mathematics

Learn about this topic in these articles:

differential equations

  • Babylonian mathematical tablet
    In mathematics: Differential equations

    …that one should prove that solutions do indeed exist; it is not a priori obvious that every ordinary differential equation has solutions. The methods that Cauchy proposed for these problems fitted naturally into his program of providing rigorous foundations for all the calculus. The solution method he preferred, although the…

    Read More

Diophantine equations

  • In number theory: Diophantus

    These are equations whose solutions must be whole numbers. For example, Diophantus asked for two numbers, one a square and the other a cube, such that the sum of their squares is itself a square. In modern symbols, he sought integers x, y, and z such that (x2)2 +…

    Read More
Related Topics:
equation

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.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.