Talk:quadratic

What about the derivation? Quad is four, is it not? But quadratic equations have only the first and second power of the unknown x. Why is that?
 * This answer seems plausible: http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52572.html trunkie 07:08, 3 Sep 2004 (UTC)


 * Because it comes from the Latin for "square" rather than the Latin for "four" (as the link above explains). &mdash; Paul G 09:18, 3 Sep 2004 (UTC)