The discriminate formula is b squared minus four ac for quadratic equation in standard form ax squared plus bx plus c. The formula derives from the quadratic formula.The discriminant won't tell you what the roots or Solutions of your quadratic equation are but they will tell you what kind of roots they are. This course is primarily for liberal arts students interested in the practical applications of mathematics. Today we're going to use the discriminant to determine what kind of roots we have for this quadratic equation. This formula is used to find out whether the roots of the quadratic equation are real or imaginary. The discriminant is the part of the quadratic formula underneath the square root symbol: b²-4ac.