You start with a quadratic of the for ax^2 + bx + c = 0
Then you can use the Quadratic Formula to solve for 'x
\(x = {-b \pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac} \over 2a}\)
Or you can soemtimes factor the quadratic equation
Example
x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0 can easily be factored to
(x+3)(x+2) = 0 which 'solves' for x = -3 or -2
Or ....you can graph it and find where y=o for the 'zeroes' tha satisfy the equation.....