Can involve the discriminant or applications in mechanics and statistics
How do I solve quadratic inequalities?
STEP 1: Rearrange the inequality into quadratic form with a positive squared term
ax2 + bx + c > 0 (>, <, ≤ or ≥)
STEP 2: Find the roots of the quadratic equation
Solveax2 + bx + c = 0 to get x1andx2 wherex1 < x2
STEP 3: Sketch a graph of the quadratic and label the roots
As the squared term is positive it will be "U" shaped
STEP 4: Identify the region that satisfies the inequality
For ax2 + bx + c > 0 you want the region above the x-axis
The solution is x < x1orx > x2
For ax2 + bx + c < 0 you want the region below the x-axis
The solution is x >x1andx < x2
This is more commonly written as x1 < x < x2
Be careful:
avoid multiplying or dividing by a negative numberif unavoidable, “flip” the inequality sign so < → >, ≥ → ≤, etc
avoid multiplying or dividing by a variable (x) that could be negative(multiplying or dividing by x2 guarantees positivity (unless x could be 0) but this can create extra, invalid solutions)
do rearrange to make the x2 term positive
Worked Example
Exam Tip
A calculator can be super-efficient but some marks are for method.