Theory of Equations

1. Find all integer values of a such that the quadratic expression ( x + a)( x + 1991) + 1 can be
factored as a product ( x + b)( x + c) where b & c are integers.

2. Determine the set of integers n, for which n2 + 19n + 92 is a perfect square.

3. Solve the following system of equations

 1 
5 x 1 + 2 2 
= 12
 x +y 

5 y 1 − 2
1 
 x +y 
2 
=4

T A
4.
roots.

Show that for any real number x, x sin x + x cos x + x + 1/ 2  0

2 2

U P
Show that the quadratic equation x 2 + 7 x − 14(q 2 + 1) = 0, where q is an integer , has no integer

G
5.

 1  1  1 
6. Find all triples (a,b,c) of positive integers such that 1 + 1 + 1 +  = 3
 a  b  c 

7.

E
Solve for real numbers x & yM
E
xy = 15 x + 17 xy + 15 y
2 2 2

x 2 y = 20 x 2 + 3 y 2

8.

A1
+ S
Solve for real 𝑥
1
[ x] [2 x]
= {x} + 1/ 3

9. If p, q, r are the roots of the cubic equation x3 − 3 px 2 + 3q 2 x − r 3 = 0, show that p = q= r.

4mn
10. Find all solutions in integers m, n of the equation, (m − n)2 =
m + n −1

11. Solve the equation y 3 = x3 + 8 x 2 − 6 x + 8

12. Find all real values of a for which the equation x 4 − 2ax 2 + x + a 2 − a = 0 has all its roots real.

13. Find all integers a,b,c,d satisfying the following relations-

(i) 1  a  b  c  d
(ii) ab + cd = a + b + c + d + 3

14. Find all real numbers a for which equation x 2 + (a − 2) x + 1 = 3 | x | has exactly 3 distinct real
solutions in x.
15. Let  ,  be the roots of the equation x 2 + mx − 1 = 0, where m is an odd integer.
Let n =  n +  n , n  0 prove that
(a) n is an integer (b) gcd (n , n +1 ) = 1

16. Determine all triples (a,b,c) of positive integers such that

a  b  c, &a + b + c + ab + bc + ca = abc + 1

17. Let a,b,c be 3 positive real numbers such that a + b + c = 1.

Let ⋋ = min {a 3 + a 2 bc, b3 + ab 2c, c3 + abc2 } . Prove that the roots of the equation
x 2 + x + 4 = 0 are real.

18. Find all pairs (a,b) of real numbers such that whenever α is a root of x 2 + ax + b = 0,  2 − 2 is
also a root of the equation.
Sol:- [(−4, 4),(2,1),(−1, −2),(1, −1),(0, −4),(0, −1)]

19.
are all positive real numbers. Prove that (i) 0  3ab  1 (ii) b  3

T A
Suppose a & b are real numbers such that the roots of the cubic equation ax3 − x 2 + bx − 1 = 0

20.

P
Find all three term harmonic progessions a, b, c of strictly increasing positive integers in which
a = 20 & b divides c.

U
G
21. Let
p1 ( x) = ax 2 − bx − c,
p2 ( x) = bx 2 − cx − a,
p3 ( x) = cx 2 − ax − b

E M
be 3 quadratic polynomials where a,b,c are non-zero real numbers. Suppose there exists a real
number α such that P1 ( ) = P2 ( ) = P3 ( ) . Prove that a = b= c

22.

E
Find 3 distinct positive integers with the least possible sum such that the sum of the reciprocals of

S
any 2 integers among them is an integral multiple of the reciprocal of the 3rd integer. 22.(2, 3, 6)

A
+y
+ 16 x + y = 1
2 2
23. Find all pairs (x,y) of real numbers such that 16 x

24. Let a & b real numbers such that a ≠ 0 .Prove that not all roots of ax 4 + bx3 + x3 + x + 1 = 0
can be real.

25. Show that for all real numbers x, y, z such that x + y + z = 0 & xy + yz + zx = −3, the
expression x3 y + y 3 z + z 3 x is a constant.

26. Find all positive integers n such that 32 n + 3n2 + 7 is a perfect square

1 x 1 y 1 z
27. Solve for positive real numbers = + 1, = + 1, = + 1
xy z yz x zx y
 Answers
1.[1993 or 1989] 2.(−8, −11) 3. 4. 5.

 29 17 97 
 12 , 6 , 24 
6. (8,3,1) , (5,4,1) , (3,2,2) 7.[(19,95)] 8.-

9.

10. m = −n
n = 1, m = 3
(k + 1) k k(k − 1)
n= ,m =

A
2 2
(k + 1) k (k + 2)(k + 1)
n= ,m =

k 1
2 2

P T
11. [(9,11) , (0,2)]

12.
G U
13. (1,1,2,6) (1,2,2,6) (2,2,2,5) (2,2,3,3)

14.[a = 1,3]

E M
E
15. 16.(2,4,13) (2,5,8) (3,3,7)

21.
A S
20.[(39, 780), (38, 380), (36, 180), (35, 140), (30, 60)]

22.

23.[−1/2, −1/2 ] 26.[n = 2] 27.[ x = 1/ 2 ]

2