The graph represented by the given equation is y = x² - x - 2. To understand this, we first need to understand what a quadratic equation is. A quadratic equation is a polynomial equation of the second degree, meaning it has an exponent of 2. In other words, it's an equation where the highest exponent of the variable is 2.
The equation y = x² - x - 2 is a quadratic equation, where y is the dependent variable and x is the independent variable. The graph of a quadratic equation is a parabola, which is a symmetrical U-shaped curve.
Looking at the given equation, we can see that the coefficient of x² is positive, which means that the parabola will open upwards. The coefficient of x is negative, which means that the vertex of the parabola will be to the right of the y-axis. The constant term is -2, which means that the vertex will be two units below the y-axis.
So, the graph represented by the given equation is a parabola that opens upwards, with its vertex at (0.5, -2.25) and its axis of symmetry being the line x = 0.5. Therefore, the correct option is the one that represents the equation y = x² - x - 2.
