Question: what is a in the quadratic function?
Answer: If the quadratic is in standard form: y = Ax^2 + Bx + C , the sign of the x^2 term (the A) tells you whether the parabola opens up or down. If the sign of the x^2 term is positive, the parabola opens upward. If the sign of the x^2 term is negative, then parabola opens downward.