Learn how to take a quadratic equation in standard form and change the trinomial into a binomial product. Using the zero product rule, the zeros of the graph can then be found. The grouping method is effective when the leading coefficient (the number factor of the squared term) is some number other than 1 (one). From Ramanujan to calculus co-creator Gottfried Leibniz, many of the world's best and brightest mathematical minds have belonged to autodidacts. And, thanks to the Internet, it's easier than ever to follow in their footsteps (or just finish your homework or study for that next big test).