Celeb Glow
general | April 11, 2026

"Root of an equation" vs "Root of a function"

$\begingroup$

I realize that various sources do not differentiate the use of the word root for both equations and functions. Should their usage need a revision? I other words, shouldn't we use just zeros of a function instead of the roots of a function? And, keep roots for just equations.

$\endgroup$ 2

1 Answer

$\begingroup$

A root of a function $f$ is a solution $x$ to the equation$$ f(x) = 0. $$For instance, $\pi$ is a root of the equation $x\sin x=0$. (See this article from Encyclopedia Britannica.)

For $g, h$, the root of an equation $$ g(x) = h(x) \tag{1} \label{e} $$is the $x$ such that the equation (\ref{e}) is true. Observe that we can define$$ j(x) = g(x) - h(x) $$such that the root of $j$ is also the root of equation (\ref{e}).

$\endgroup$ 3

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Sign up using Google Sign up using Facebook Sign up using Email and Password

Post as a guest

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy