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Mathematics vocabulary · Algebra and Equations

Root

Meaning in mathematics, with examples

/ruːt/nounCore term

In mathematics, root means: A value of the variable that makes an equation or polynomial equal to zero; the roots of x² − 5x + 6 = 0 are 2 and 3.

In Turkish: kök

How it is used

Also called a 'solution' or, for functions, a 'zero'. On a graph, the real roots are where the curve crosses the x-axis. The word also appears in 'square root', 'cube root' and 'nth root'.

Example sentences

  1. Find the roots of the equation and check them by substitution.

  2. A quadratic can have at most two real roots.

Common collocations

  • real roots
  • repeated root
  • find the roots
  • nth root
  • sum of the roots
  • quadratic equationAn equation in which the highest power of the variable is 2, written in the form ax² + bx + c = 0, where a is not zero.
  • polynomialAn expression made of terms with whole-number powers of a variable, added or subtracted, such as 3x⁴ − 2x² + x − 7.
  • square rootA number that gives a particular value when it is multiplied by itself; the square root of 49 is 7, because 7 × 7 = 49.
  • solveTo find the value or values of an unknown that make an equation or inequality true, or to find the answer to a problem.
  • interceptA point where a graph crosses one of the axes; the y-intercept of y = 2x + 3 is 3, because the line crosses the y-axis at (0, 3).

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Algebra and Equations

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