The formula x = \frac-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}2a is known as the quadratic formula. It is used to find the solutions, or roots, of a quadratic equation in the standard form ax^2 + bx + c = 0 . Here, a , b , and c are coefficients, while x represents the variable we want to solve for. In this formula, the term b^2 - 4ac is called the discriminant. It helps determine the nature of the roots: if it's positive, there are two distinct real roots; if it's zero, there is one real root; and if it's negative, the roots are complex or imaginary.