What is the difference between y=ax^2 + bx +c and f(x) = ax^2 + bx + c ?

Question

Good Morning,

I know this may sound a little silly to some of you, but since I am new at this and have to learn how to do it for an exam, I would just like to know

What is the difference between y=ax^2 + bx +c and f(x) = ax^2 + bx + c ? Are they both the same formula?

What is different about each one?

I would really appreciate it if someone out there could clarify it for me. Hope to hear from someone soon.

Sincerely,
arted68

Answer 1

f(x) has just been given the name y.

they are the same



y = f(x) = ax^2 + bx +c

Answer 2

a, b and c are called parameters and more or less fixed. f(x) = ax2 + bx + c is a function, also a polynome of second degree, if a is not equal to 0. And, for example, if A is not equal to 0 the graph is a parabol. The graph of function f are the points M of coordinates (x , y) so that y = ax2 + bx + c therefore solving the equation y = ax2 + bx + c = 0 consists in obtaining the values of x so that y = f(x) = 0 in other words, the points of coordinates ( x , 0) Finally: All points of the graph which intersect with the first axis (the line of equation y = 0) hope it'll help !! PS: gino's explanation is nice, but is a bit too concentrated on second degree equations. if a = 0, the graph is a line and the intersection of the graph (line) with the first axis is 1 point or no point, if the line is horizontal, that is, if b = 0 or all points of the forst axis, if b = 0 And c = 0.

Answer 3

they are both the same. think of f(x) as y. people just like to use f(x) so that they can show replacing like if they wrote f(2), they would show that they are replacing all the x values with 2 and evaluating



See, when you graph y=ax^2 + bx +c, you would pick any number for x, solve for y, plot that point, and do it few more times and draw the shape.



well, f(x) is the same thing. its basically saying what is f(x) if x=(pick a number for graphing). replace all the x values and find f(x)

Answer 4

Hi Tom,



It is good to ask rather than to make mistakes.



actually y=ax^2 + bx +c and f(x) = ax^2 + bx + c are same so,



y is equal to f(x) here f(x) is a function of 'x' which is variable.

Answer 5

They are the same for real. Trust me and the top contributors of Yahoo! Answers.

Answer 6

They are the same. The second just emphasizes that the right side is a function.