Origin of Word
The adjective quadratic comes from the Latin word quadrātum (“square”). A term like x2 is called a square in algebra because it is the area of a square with side x.
In general, a prefix quadr(i)- indicates the number 4. Examples are quadrilateral and quadrant. Quadratum is the Latin word for square because a square has four sides.
Read more about this topic: Quadratic Function
Famous quotes containing the words origin of, origin and/or word:
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—Robert Frost (18741963)
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