A quadratic function is a type of polynomial function of the form: \[ f(x) = ax^2 + bx + c \] where: - \( a \), \( b \), and \( c \) are constants (with \( a \neq 0 \)), - \( x \) is the variable, - \( a \) determines the direction of the parabola (if \( a > 0 \), the parabola opens upwards; if \( a < 0 \), it
