Quadratic calculations involve working with numbers raised to the second power, often called squaring a number. This means multiplying the number by itself. In the context of this exercise, we calculate the square of each number before adding them up.
Here's how it works in the example:
- Start with each number in your list: 1, 2, 4, 16.
- Calculate the square of each number:
- 1 squared is \(1^2 = 1\)
- 2 squared is \(2^2 = 4\)
- 4 squared is \(4^2 = 16\)
- 16 squared is \(16^2 = 256\)
- Add these results together to perform \( \Sigma X^2 \).
Squaring is a simple operation, yet it is the basis of more complex mathematical calculations. Understanding it is crucial for tasks involving areas, optimization problems, and even certain statistical measures where variance and standard deviation are involved.