A parabola is a symmetric curve formed by all points that are equidistant from a fixed point (focus) and a fixed line (directrix). In algebra, it is represented by a quadratic equation of the form \( y = ax^2 + bx + c \).
Standard Equation Forms
Vertical parabola: \( y = ax^2 + bx + c \)
Vertex form: \( y = a(x - h)^2 + k \), where \( (h, k) \) is the vertex
