ALGEBRA

T.Brindha
Assistant Professor
Department of Mathematics(PG&UG-SF)
PSGR Krishnammal College for Women
Coimbatore.
Rolle’s Theorem
Statement:
Between two consecutive real roots a and b of the equation
f(x)=0 where f(x) is a polynomial, there lies at least one real root of
the equation f ’(x)=0.
Proof:
Let f(x) be (x-a)m (x-b)n (x) ,where m and n are positive
integers and (x) is not divisible by (x-a) or (x-b).
Since a and b are consecutive real roots of f(x), the sign of (x) in the
interval a≤x≤b is either positive throughout or negative throughout, for
if it changes its sign between a and b, then there is a root of (x)=0 that
is f(x)=0 lying between a and b, which is contrary to the hypothesis that
a and b are consecutive roots.
Therefore
f ’(x)=(x-a)m n (x-b)n-1 (x)+ m(x-a)m-1 (x-b)n (x)+ (x-a)m(x-b)n ’(x)
=(x-a)m-1 (x-b)n-1 (x).
where (x)={m(x-b)+n(x-a)} (x)+(x-a)(x-b) ’(x)
Therefore (a)=m (a-b) (a) and (b)=n (b-a) (b)
where (a) and (b) have different signs since (a) and (b) have the
same sign.
Therefore (x)=0 has at least one root between a and b.
Hence f’(x)=0 has at least one root between a and b.
Corollary:1
If all the roots of f(x)=0 are eral, then all the roots of f’(x)=0
are also real.
Corollary:2
If all the roots of f(x)=0 are real, then the roots of f’(x)=0,
f’’(x)=0, f’’’(x)=0 are real.
Corollary: 3
At the most only one real root of f(x)=0 can lie between two
consecutive roots of f’(x)=0, that is the real roots of f’(x)=0 separate
those of f(x)=0
Corollary:4
If f’(x)=0 has r real roots, then f(x)=0 cannot have more than
(r+1) real roots.
Corollary:5
f(x)=0 has at least as many real roots as f’(x)=0.
Example:1
Find the nature of the roots of the equation 4x3-21x2+18x+20=0.
Solution:
Let f(x)= 4x3-21 x2+18x+20
Therefore, f ’(x)=12 x 2-42x+18
=6(2x 2-7x+3)
=6(2x 2-6x-x+3)
=6(2x(x-3)-1(x-3))
=6(2x-1) (x-3)
To find the roots of f’(x)=0.
2x-1=0 and x-3=0
x=1/2 and x=3
Therefore the real roots of f’(x)=0 are ½ and 3.
x : - ½ 3 
f(x): - + - +
Here, the number of changes of sign is 3. Hence f(x)=0 has three
real roots.
Example:2
Show that the equation 3x4-8x3-6x2+24x-7=0 has one positive, one
negative and two imaginary roots.
Solution:
Let f(x)= 3x4-8x3-6x2+24x-7
Therefore f’(x)=12x3-24x2-12x+24
=12(x3-2x2-x+2)
=12(x2(x-2)-1(x-2))
=12(x2-1) (x-2)
Therefore the roots of the equation f ’(x)=0 are 1,1,2.
x : - -1 1 2 
f(x): + - + + +
Therefore f(x)=0 has a real root lying between -1 and -, one between
-1 and +1 and it has two imaginary roots.
Also, f(1)=6= + and f(0)=-7= -
Therefore the real root lying between -1 and +1 lies between 0 and +1.
Hence it is a positive root. The other root lies between -1 and - and it
is a negative root.
Example:3
Discuss the reality of the roots, x 4+4x3-2x2-12x+a=0 for all real values of
a.
Solution:
Let f(x)= x4+4x3-2x2-12x+a
Therefore f ’(x)=4x3+12x2-4x-12
=4(x3+3x2-x-3)
=4(x2(x+3)-1(x+3))
=4(x2-1) (x+3)
Therefore the roots of f’(x)=0 are 1,1,-3.
x : - -3 -1 1 
f(x): + a-9 7+a a-9 +
If a-9 is negative and 7+a is positive, the number of changes of sign in
f(x) is four. Clearly, all the four roots of f(x) are real.
If -7<a<9, f(x)=0 has four real roots. For, if we take a=8 then the
number of changes of sign in f(x) is 4.
If a>9 then f(x) is positive throughout and hence all the roots
f(x)=0 are imaginary. For, if we take a=10 then there is no change
of sign in f(x).
If a< -7, the signs of f(x) at -,-3,-1,1, are respectively
+,-,-,-,+. For, if we take a=-8 then the number of changes of sign
is 2.
Hence f(x)=0 has two real roots and two imaginary roots.
 Removal of terms

One of the chief uses of this transformation is to remove a certain

specified term from an equation. Such a step always helps to find
the solutions of an equation.
Let the given equation be a0xn+a1xn-1+a2 x n-2+…+an-1 x +an=0
Then if y=x-h, we obtain the new equation
a0(y+h)n+a1(y+h)n-1+a2 (y+h) n-2+…+an-1 (y+h) +an=0
Which, when arranged in descending powers of y, becomes
a0yn+(na0h+a1 ) y n-1+{[n(n-1)/2!] a0h2+(n-1)a1h+a2} y n-2+………..=0
Example:1
Find the relation between the coefficients in the equation
x4+px3+qx2+rx+s=0 in order that the coefficients of x3 and x may be
removable by the same transformation.
Solution:
Let us reduce the roots of the equation by h. Instead of x substitute x+h, the
transformed equation is
(x+h)4+p(x+h)3+q(x+h)2+r(x+h)+s=0
i.e., x4+(4h+p)x3+(6h2+3ph+q)x2+(4h3+3ph2+2qh+r)x+h4+ph3+qh2+rh+s=0
Example:2
Solve the equation x4+20x3+143x2+143x2+430x+462=0 by removing its
second term.
Solution:
Substitute x=x+h in the given equation
(x+h)4+20(x+h)3+143(x+h)2+143(x+h)2+430(x+h)+462=0
i.e., x4+(4h+20)x3+……….=0
Therefore 4h+20=0, h=-5
Hence to remove the second term, increase the roots of the equation by 5.
 1 20 143 430 462
5- 0 - 5 - 75 - 340 - 450

1 15 68 90 12
0 - 5 - 50 - 90
1 10 18 0
0 - 5 - 25
1 5 - 7
0 - 5
1 0
Therefore the transformed equation is y4-7y2+12=0
y4-4y2-3y2+12=0
y2(y2-4)-3(y2-4)=0
(y2-4) (y2-3)=0
Therefore y= ±3 and y=±2.
Therefore the roots of the transformed equation are ±3 and ±2.
And the roots of the original equation are 3-5, 3+5,2-5,-2-5
i.e., 3-5, 3+5,-3,-7
Text Book:
Algebra, Volume I by T.K.Manicavachagom pillay,
T.Natarajan , K.S. Ganapathy, S.Viswanathan (Printers & Publishers)
PVT.,LTD.2010
Thank you