First, some background. (Warning: Math content)
Students in Algebra II study the quadratic equation [f(x)= ax^2 + bx +c]. Given specific numbers for a, b and c, this equation can be graphed. The general shape of the graph is a parabola, with the width, the direction it opens (up or down) and exactly where it is on the coordinate plane determined by the coefficients a, b and c.
Mrs. CowCulus and another teacher both teach a course similar to Algebra II, and were discussing where they were in the curriculum. The other teacher (we'll call her Miss Informed) noted that she was well ahead of Mrs. CowCulus, prompting the following discussion:
Mrs. CowCulus: Gosh, you've gotten further than I have. How did you get through quadratic equations so fast?
Miss Informed: Well, I skipped over a lot of stuff. I only did the parabolas.
(If you're a math teacher, you're rolling on the floor laughing right now. If you're not, you're wondering why this is supposed to be funny.)
This post may require a postscript. I continue to believe that Miss Informed was, well, misinformed regarding the curves that stem from equations of the type y=ax^2 + bx + c, but it's possible she was thinking of all possible quadratic equations in two variables... that is, equations of the type Ax^2 + Bxy + Cy^2 + Dx + Ey + F = 0, with some constraints on which of the constants can be zero. This quadratic equation admits not only parabolas, but ellipses, circles and hyperbolas. But my story's not nearly as funny that way.
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