 Quadrature of the Parabola

Quadrature of the parabola refers to the process of finding the area under a parabolic arc. This concept was historically significant in the development of calculus and the understanding of integration. The term "quadrature" is derived from the Latin word "quadratus," meaning "square," and it essentially means finding the area (or squared measure) of a figure. The classic example involves the specific parabola described by the equation \( y = x^2 \).