The correct answer is (a) x = (5 ± √29) / 2.
To find the solutions of the quadratic equation x^2 - 5x - 1 = 0 using the quadratic formula, we can identify the values of a, b, and c:
a = 1
b = -5
c = -1
Plugging these values into the quadratic formula:
x = (-b ± √(b^2 - 4ac)) / (2a)
Substituting the values of a, b, and c:
x = (-(-5) ± √((-5)^2 - 4(1)(-1))) / (2(1))
x = (5 ± √(25 + 4)) / 2
x = (5 ± √29) / 2
Therefore, the solutions to the equation x^2 - 5x - 1 = 0 are x = (5 + √29) / 2 and x = (5 - √29) / 2, which corresponds to option (a).