A system of two equations, consisting of a linear equation and a quadratic equation, cannot have an infinite number of solutions. Here's why:
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Types of Equations: A linear equation represents a straight line in a coordinate plane, while a quadratic equation represents a parabola. When you have a linear equation (which is first degree) and a quadratic equation (which is second degree), their graphs will generally intersect at discrete points.
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Intersections: The intersection points of a line and a parabola can be:
- No intersection (no solutions).
- One intersection point (one solution).
- Two intersection points (two solutions).
The only way for a system to have infinite solutions is if the two equations represent the same line. However, since the quadratic equation is not a linear function—unless it degenerated to a linear form in the case of a perfect square (which is a rare and specific scenario)—it cannot produce the same set of points as a linear equation.
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Graphical Representation: If you graph both equations, you would typically see:
- The straight line (from the linear equation).
- The parabola (from the quadratic equation). If they intersect in a point or points, that's your solution(s). If they do not touch at all, there are no solutions.
In conclusion, a system of a linear equation and a quadratic equation cannot produce an infinite number of solutions because the nature of their graphs does not allow for overlapping across infinite points.