quadratic

English

polynomial degrees
Previous:	linear
Next:	cubic

Alternative forms

quadratick (obsolete)

Etymology

From French quadratique (1765), from Latin quadrātus + -ique^[1] (English -ic), form of quadrō (“I make square”), from quādrus (“square”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres (“four”), whence also Latin four.

Adjective

quadratic (not comparable)

square-shaped
(mathematics) of a polynomial, involving the second power (square) of a variable but no higher powers, as $ax^{2}+bx+c$ .
(mathematics) of an equation, of the form $ax^{2}+bx+c=0$ .
(mathematics) of a function, of the form $y=ax^{2}+bx+c$ .

Translations

of a class of polynomial of the form y = ax² + bx + c

Catalan: quadràtic
Czech: kvadratický
Dutch: kwadratisch
Esperanto: kvadrata
Finnish: toisen asteen
French: quadratique (fr) m, f
German: quadratisch (de)
Greek: τετραγωνικός (el) m (tetragonikós), τετραγωνική (el) f (tetragonikí), τετραγωνικό (el) n (tetragonikó)

Italian: quadratico (it) m, quadratica f
Japanese: 二次 (niji)
Portuguese: quadrático (pt)
Russian: квадра́тный (ru) (kvadrátnyj)
Scottish Gaelic: ceàrnach
Spanish: cuadrático
Swedish: kvadratisk (sv), andragrads-, andragradspolynom (sv)

Noun

quadratic (plural quadratics)

(mathematics) A quadratic polynomial, function or equation.

Usage notes

Not to be confused with quartic (“degree four”). Both derive ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres (“four”), with quadratic coming from “four-sided”, hence “square, two-dimensional, degree two”.

Derived terms

quadratic reciprocity theorem
quadratic residue

Related terms

References

↑ “quadratique” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).