quadric
- noun
- /ˈkwɒdrɪk/
- Specialized
- The mathematician explained how a parabola is a specific type of quadric curve.
Examples
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Look at one of the sections through the quadric that are hyperbole.
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OK, along the asymptote, the radius of the quadric is infinite.
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To better understand the relationships, we graphed the quadric equations on the coordinate plane.
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In geometry class, we studied various quadric surfaces, including ellipsoids and hyperboloids.
Compounds
- Specialized
A surface in three-dimensional space made by an equation with squared terms in x, y, and z
Surface Forms
Morphology
quadric = quadratic (semi-transparent) = quadr + ic
The form and meaning closely match 'quadratic' (both denote second-degree notions), so knowing 'quadratic' makes 'quadric' predictable.
Etymology
Quadric is like quadratic, which comes from the Latin quadratus meaning 'square'. That 'square' idea means 'squared', meaning you multiply a number by itself, so a quadric curve or surface is made from 'squared' terms and is a 'second-degree' equation.