What conclusion can be drawn if the discriminant in the quadratic formula is less than 0?

When the discriminant in the quadratic formula is less than 0, it indicates that the quadratic equation does not intersect the x-axis at any point. This is because the roots of the equation are derived from the expression under the square root in the quadratic formula, ( \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac} ). When the discriminant, which is ( b^2 - 4ac ), is negative, you are attempting to take the square root of a negative number. Since square roots of negative numbers produce complex numbers, this tells us that the solutions to the equation are not real numbers.

In simpler terms, a negative discriminant suggests that the graph of the quadratic function is either entirely above or below the x-axis, depending on the leading coefficient. Therefore, the conclusion drawn is that there are no real roots, but rather the roots are complex. This is why the correct answer is that there are no real roots.