IB Mathematics HL exercise set EXS 2-6-50v1

Sum & Product of the Roots of a Polynomial Equation

Exercises No calculator on all questions [worked solutions included]

1. The equation x 2 5 x 2 0 has roots and .

(a) Write down the value and the value of .

(b) Find the value of 2 2 .

(c) Find a quadratic equation which has roots 2 and 2 .

2. If and are the roots of the equation 2 x 2 3 x 7 0 has roots, find the quadratic equation
with integral coefficients whose roots are:

2 2
(a) 2 , 2 (b) ,

3. Consider the polynomial f x 2 x3 3x 2 6 x 18, x .

(a) For the polynomial equation f x 0 , state

(i) the sum of the roots;

(ii) the product of the roots.
A new polynomial equation is defined to be g x f x 5

(b) Find the sum of the roots of the equation g x 0 .

4. Consider the equation 2 x 4 13x3 27 x 2 13x 15 0 . Given that one of the zeros of the
equation is x1 2 i , find the other three zeros x2 , x3 and x4 .

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IB Mathematics HL exercise set EXS 2-6-50v1

Sum & Product of the Roots of a Polynomial Equation

Worked Solutions

1. (a) 5 , 2

(b) 2 2 5 2 10

b b
(c) sum of roots 2 2 10 10 10
a a
product of roots 2 2
c
2 8 8
3 3

a
b c
general quadratic equation: ax 2 bx c 0 x 2 x 0
a a

thus, quadratic equation with roots 2 and 2 is x 2 10 x 8 0

3 7 3 b b
2. (a) , 2 2 2 2 3 3 3
2 2 2 a a

2 2 4 4
7 c
14 14
2 a

thus, quadratic equation with roots 2 and 2 is x 2 3x 14 0

3
2
2 2 2 2 2 2 3 6

b 6 b 6
(b)

7

7 7 a 7 a 7
2 2

2 2 4 4 8 c 8

7 7 a 7
2
2 2 6 8
thus, quadratic equation with roots and is x 2 x 0 7 x2 6x 8 0
7 7

an 1 3 n a 18
3. (a) sum of roots ; product of roots 1 0 9
an 2 an 2

(b) If y satisfies f y 0 then g y 5 0 . Thus, the roots of g x are each 5 more that the
roots of f x . There are 3 roots, so need to add 3 5 15 to sum of the roots for f x 0 .
3 27
Therefore, the sum of the roots of g x 0 is 15 .
2 2

InThinking IB Maths HL & SL 2

IB Mathematics HL exercise set EXS 2-6-50v1

Sum & Product of the Roots of a Polynomial Equation

4.

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