To solve the quadratic polynomial \(-4x^2 - 24x - 36 = 0\) using the quadratic formula, we start by identifying the coefficients. The quadratic formula is given by:
\[ x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} \]
For the polynomial \(-4x^2 - 24x - 36\), we can identify:
- \(a = -4\)
- \(b = -24\)
- \(c = -36\)
Now, we will calculate the discriminant \(D\) first:
\[ D = b^2 - 4ac \]
Substituting in the values of \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\):
\[ D = (-24)^2 - 4(-4)(-36) \] \[ D = 576 - 576 \] \[ D = 0 \]
Since the discriminant \(D\) is \(0\), this indicates that there is one unique solution (a repeated root) for the quadratic equation.
Next, we can apply the quadratic formula:
\[ x = \frac{-(-24) \pm \sqrt{0}}{2 \cdot (-4)} \] \[ x = \frac{24 \pm 0}{-8} \] \[ x = \frac{24}{-8} \] \[ x = -3 \]
Thus, the solution to the equation \(-4x^2 - 24x - 36 = 0\) is \(x = -3\).
Finally, since the quadratic equation has a discriminant of zero, it has two identical solutions. Hence, the accurate description of the solution set is:
There are two identical solutions.