26Vertex of a parabola
Find the vertex of . Is it a maximum or a minimum?
The vertex is (2, 5), and since the coefficient of x² is negative (−2), the parabola opens downward, making it a maximum. Using x = −b/(2a) = −8/(−4) = 2, then y = −2(2)² + 8(2) − 3 = 5.