Algebra: "What is wrong with this statement?"

[pboland]

What is wrong with this statement? "... the quintic is one step up from the dread quadratic equation." (Newsweek, Dec. 19, 2005).

 

[stapel]

What is wrong with this statement? "... the quintic is one step up from the dread quadratic equation."

What is the definition of a "quadratic"? What is the definition of a "quintic"? What are their degrees?

Eliz.