To solve the quadratic equation \(x^{2}-4x-5=0\), we can use the quadratic formula:
\[ x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} \]
where \(a = 1\), \(b = -4\), and \(c = -5\).
Now, first, we calculate the discriminant \(b^2 - 4ac\):
\[ b^2 - 4ac = (-4)^2 - 4(1)(-5) = 16 + 20 = 36 \]
Now we plug the values into the quadratic formula:
\[ x = \frac{-(-4) \pm \sqrt{36}}{2(1)} = \frac{4 \pm 6}{2} \]
This gives us two solutions:
- \(x = \frac{4 + 6}{2} = \frac{10}{2} = 5\)
- \(x = \frac{4 - 6}{2} = \frac{-2}{2} = -1\)
Thus, the solutions to the equation \(x^{2}-4x-5=0\) are:
\[ x = 5 \quad \text{and} \quad x = -1 \]