Quadratic growth refers to a type of increase where the growth rate accelerates over time, typically represented by a quadratic function in mathematics. This means that as the input value increases, the output value grows at an increasing rate. For example, if you plot a quadratic function like y = x², the graph forms a U-shaped curve, indicating that as x gets larger, y increases more rapidly. In practical terms, quadratic growth can be observed in various real-world scenarios, such as the area of a square as its side length increases. If the side length of a square is doubled, the area increases by four times, illustrating how changes in one dimension can lead to significant increases in another. This concept is important in fields like economics, biology, and physics, where understanding growth patterns is essential.