Question: if the discriminant is less than zero?
Answer: If the discriminant of a quadratic function is less than zero, that function has no real roots, and the parabola it represents does not intersect the x-axis. ... Notice that the discriminant of f(x) is negative, b2 −4ac = (−3)2− 4 · 1 · 4 = 9 − 16 = −7.