what is vertex form

Vertex form is one of the common forms for quadratic functions. It is a way of writing the equation of a parabola that highlights the coordinates of the vertex of the functions graph. The vertex form of a quadratic function is y = a(x - h)^2 + k, where (h, k) is the vertex of the parabola, and x = h is the axis of symmetry. The h value represents a horizontal shift (how far left or right the graph has shifted from x = 0), while the k value represents a vertical shift (how far up or down the graph has shifted from y = 0) . The vertex formula helps to find the vertex coordinates of a parabola when the graph crosses its axes of symmetry. There are two ways to find the vertex of a parabola using the vertex formula: (h, k) = (-b/2a, -D/4a) or (h, k) = (-b/2a, f(-b/2a)) . The first method uses the discriminant, D = b^2 - 4ac, while the second method involves evaluating the function at h = -b/2a to find k.