Yes you can use the discriminant of a quadratic/polynomial. For instance, if
[tex] b^2 - 4ac = 0[/tex] there is one real root. If [tex] b^2 - 4ac > 0[/tex] there are two real roots and i[tex] b^2 - 4ac < 0[/tex] there are no real roots
The discriminant comes from the quadratic equation, which is the following.
[tex]x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}[/tex]
