I suspect this rude, careless dumb-dumb intended this equation:
\(\LARGE x^2 - ax + b = 0\\ \)
Geometric solutions for this quadratic form are found by plotting A(0, 1) and B(a, b) and using the midpoint and distance formulas for finding (y) intercepts in circles. This seems consistent with the question. Examples of these are sometimes included in pre-calculus texts.
The first use of this form comes from Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881), known more for satirical social commentary than mathematics.
GA