standard_description: Explain how the unit circle in the coordinate plane enables the extension of trigonometric functions to all real numbers, interpreted as radian measures of angles traversed counterclockwise around the unit circle.
problem_activity: Task
In ''Building an explicit quadratic function'' a particular quadratic function was rewritten by completing the square. The quadratic function used was $q(x) = 2x^2 + 4x - 16$ and this function was rewritten as $$ q(x) = 2\left(x+1\right)^2 - 18 = 2\left((x+1)^2 - 9\right). $$ Some of the advantages to this form are that the $x$-coordinate of the vertex of the graph of $q$ can be found more easily and the two roots of $q$ can also be found readily. The right hand side of this equation can be seen as a horizontal translation by $-1$, then squaring, then a vertical translation by $-9$, and finally a multiplicative scaling by $2$. The goal of this task is first to employ the same technique on a general quadratic function and then derive the quadratic formula. To assist in this process, we first rewrite the equation above: $$ \frac{q(x)}{2} = \left(x+1\right)^2 - 9. $$
Let $f$ be a quadratic function, so we have $$ f(x) = ax^2 + bx + c. $$ Here $a,b,c$ are real numbers and we assume that $a$ is non-zero.
Following the lead of our example problem, we begin by dividing out the leading coefficient:
Multiplying $f(x)$ by $\frac{1}{a}$ gives $$ \frac{f(x)}{a} = x^2 + \frac{b}{a}x + \frac{c}{a}. $$ We wish to write this as the square of a linear function $x + d$ plus a constant. Find numbers $d$ and $k$ so that $\frac{f(x)}{a} = (x+d)^2 + k$.
Using the values for $d$ and $k$ found in part (b), rewrite $f(x) = ax^2 + bx + c$ as $$ \frac{f(x)}{a} = \left(x+d\right)^2 + k. $$ Why do the expressions $f(x)$ and $\frac{f(x)}{a}$ have the same roots?
Explain how to deduce the quadratic formula for the roots of $f$ from part (c).


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