Question:
The quadratic $4x^2+2x-1$ can be written in the form $a(x+b)^2+c$, where $a$, $b$, and $c$ are constants. What is $a+b+c$?

Answer:
We complete the square.

Factoring $4$ out of the quadratic and linear terms gives $4x^2 + 2x = 4\left(x^2 + \frac12x\right)$.

Since $\left(x+\frac14\right)^2 = x^2 + \frac12x + \frac1{16}$, we can write $$4\left(x+\frac14\right)^2 = 4x^2 + 2x + \frac14.$$This quadratic agrees with the given $4x^2+2x-1$ in all but the constant term. We can write

\begin{align*}
4x^2 + 2x - 1 &= \left(4x^2 + 2x + \frac14\right) - \frac 54 \\
&= 4\left(x+\frac 14\right)^2 - \frac 54.
\end{align*}Therefore, $a=4$, $b=\frac14$, $c=-\frac54$, and $a+b+c = 4+\frac14-\frac 54 = \boxed{3}$.