1. The problem is to find the axis of symmetry of a quadratic function. 2. The general form of a quadratic function is $y = ax^2 + bx + c$. 3. The formula for the axis of symmetry is given by the vertical line: $$x = -\frac{b}{2a}$$ 4. This formula comes from completing the square or using the vertex formula, where the vertex is the point $(x, y)$ that represents the maximum or minimum of the parabola. 5. To find the axis of symmetry, identify the coefficients $a$ and $b$ from the quadratic equation. 6. Substitute these values into the formula $x = -\frac{b}{2a}$. 7. Simplify the expression to find the value of $x$ which is the axis of symmetry. 8. This line divides the parabola into two mirror images. Example: For $y = 2x^2 + 4x + 1$, $a=2$ and $b=4$. Calculate: $$x = -\frac{4}{2 \times 2} = -\frac{4}{4} = -1$$ So, the axis of symmetry is the line $x = -1$.