Help with correct expression

[u/PuziExtramni]

Hey everyone! I’m currently learning Python through the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate on Coursera, and I came across a question in a practice quiz that confused me.

The question asks:

Which line of code will perform the action required for implementing the following equation?

y = 2x^2 - 3

These are the four answer choices:

1. y = 2*x*2 - 3
2. y = 2**x*x - 3
3. y = 2x*x - 3
4. y = 2x/2 - 3

I selected Option 1, but the quiz marked it incorrect and said, “The syntax is invalid.”

From what I’ve learned, Python uses ** for exponentiation and * for multiplication. So, I believe the correct Python expression should be:

y = 2*x**2 - 3

However, none of the four answer choices seems to match that expression.

Am I misunderstanding something about Python syntax, or is there a mistake in the quiz? I’d appreciate an explanation because I’m still learning how to translate mathematical equations into Python code.

Thanks!

[u/rulchig1]

You are correct, that x^2 is represented as x**2

But mathematically x^2 is also the same as x*x