Solution to Final Exam

Do all problems.

1. (15 points) Solve the following equations (find all solutions)

(a) (8 points) 125x3 + 216 = 0

(b) (7 points) x5 − 5x3 + 4x = 0

Solution:
(a) The equation can be rewritten as

(5x)3 + 63 = 0

Using the sum of cubes, we have

(5x + 6)(25x2 − 30x + 36) = 0

6
This gives x = − and, using the quadratic formula for the second term,
5
3 √ 
x= 1 ± 3i
5
(b) We can immediately factor out x, giving the first solution as x = 0 .
For the second term
x4 − 5x2 + 4 = 0

we use a change of variables. Let u = x2 , then

u2 − 5u + 4 = 0

The quadratic formula gives u = 4, u = 1. Hence, we obtain the last four

solutions as x = ±2 and x = ±1
2. (10 points) For the following equation, state the number of complex roots,
the possible number of imaginary roots and real roots, and the possible rational
roots
4x6 − x5 − 24 = 0

1
 Solution: This is a polynomial of degree 6. Therefore, there are 6 complex
roots. By the imaginary root theorem, if one imaginary root exists, then its com-
plex conjugate automatically serves as a second root. Hence, there can be either
0, 2, 4, or 6 imaginary roots. Likewise, there can be either 0, 2, 4, or 6 real roots.
24 has factors ±1, ±2, ±4, ±6, ±8, ±12, and ±24. 4 has factors ±1, ±2, and ±4.
Then the possible rational roots are ±1, ± 21 , ± 14 , ±2, ±4, ±6, ±3, ± 23 , ±8, ±12,
and ±24.
3. (10 points) Find all possible rational roots and use these with synthetic
division to find all the zeros of the function

f (x) = x4 − 6x2 + 8

Solution: 8 has factors ±1, ±2, ±4, and ±8. The leading coefficient is just
1. Thus all possible rational roots are ±1, ±2, ±4, and ±8. By inspection, one
finds that the only two roots that satisfy the equation

x4 − 6x2 + 8 = 0

are x = ±2. Hence the first two zeros are x = ±2 . Using x = 2 as the
divisor, we divide the given polynomial and obtain

x3 + 2x2 − 2x − 4 = 0

Using synthetic division again with x = −2, we get

x2 − 2 = 0
√
The last two zeros are x = ± 2
4. (10 points) For the following pair of functions, find f (g(x)) and g(f (x))

f (x) = x2 − 2, g(x) = 4x + 1

Solution: For f (g(x)), let x → 4x + 1. Then

f (g(x)) = (4x + 1)2 − 2

f (g(x)) = 16x2 + 8x − 1

2
 For g(f (x)), let x → x2 − 2. Then

g(f (x)) = 4(x2 − 2) + 1

g(f (x)) = 4x2 − 7

5. (10 points)
(a) (5 points) Simplify the expression and rationalize the denominator
√ √ √
27 + 75 − 12
√
1− 5

(b) (5 points) Simplify the expression

 32
8x8 y 3


27x2 y 12

Solution:
(a) Factoring the numerator, we have
√ √
3(3 + 5 − 2) 6 3
√ = √
1− 5 1− 5
√
Multiplying top and bottom by the complex conjugate of 1 − 5 gives
√ √ √
6 3 + 6 15 3 3 √ 
= − 1+ 5
−4 2

(b) We see that we can immediately cancel the x2 in the denominator and
the y 3 in the numerator. Then we have
 32
8x6


27y 9
2 2
The exponents get multiplied so that x6× 3 = x4 and y 9× 3 = y 6 . Squaring the
cube roots of 8 and 27, the final expression is

4x4
9y 6

6. (15 points)

3
 (a) ( 7 points) Write the following expression as a single logarithm

1
(ln x + ln y) − 4 ln z
3

(b) (8 points) Solve the equation

ln x + ln(x + 1) = 2

Solution:
(a) By the product property of logarithms, we can combine x and y. We can
also bring up the coefficients and rewrite the logarithms with exponents using
the power property.
1
ln(xy) 3 − ln z 4

Finally, by the quotient property, we can write the final expression as

1
!
(xy) 3
ln
z4

(b) Using the product property, we write

ln(x2 + x) = 2

Taking the exponential of each side, then subtracting each side by e2 , we

have
x2 + x − e2 = 0

The quadratic formula gives

√
−1 ± 1 + 4e2
x=
2

We note that x cannot take on a negative value because the natural log of a
negative number is undefined. Hence the solution is
√
−1 + 1 + e2
x=
2

7. (15 points)

4
 (a) (5 points) Find the center and radius of the circle

(x − 1)2 + (y + 3)2 = 16

Use these to graph the circle.

(b) (5 points) Write an equation of an ellipse for the foci (0, ±4) and the

co-vertices (±2, 0)

(c) (5 points) Find the vertex, focus, and directrix of the following equation,

then sketch the graph of the function

x2 + 24y − 8x = −16

Solution:
(a) The center is (1, −3). The radius is r2 = 16 ⇒ r = 4. The graph should
be centered at (1, −3) and have a radius of 4.
(b) We see that the major axis is along the y axis. We use the foci to find
a from the relationship
a2 = c2 + b2

where b = 2.
a2 = 42 + 22 = 20

x2 y2
The equation of the ellipse is + =1
4 20
(c) Rearranging the equation and factoring, we obtain

24y + (x − 4)2 = 0

1
⇒y=− (x − 4)2
24
1 1
= arg(− )
4c 24
⇒c=6

Then the directrix is y = 6 . The focus is (0, −6) . The vertex is at (4, 0) .
1
The graph should open downward at (4, 0), since the coefficient a = − 24 is

5
negative.
8. (15 points) Consider the periodic function

π
f (x) = 3 cos(2x + )+1
2

Find the amplitude, frequency, and period. Describe any phase shift and
vertical shift. Sketch two periods of the function, starting from the origin.
Solution: Comparing with the equation

f (x) = Acos(ω0 x + φ) + c

where A is the amplitude, ω0 is the frequency, φ is the phase constant, and

c is the vertical shift constant, we see that the amplitude is 3, the frequency is
2π π
2, and the period T = ω0 = π. There is a horizontal shift of 2 units to the left
and a vertical shift of 1 unit upward. The graph of the function, starting from
the origin, should be a cosine wave but instead of starting at the maximum
amplitude, which in this case is 3, it begins at 1 (which would normally be
0 if there was no vertical shift) due to the horizontal phase shift and moves
downward to the minimum, which in this case is -2. Since the period is π,
f (x) = 1 at x = 0, f (x) = −2 at x = π4 , f (x) = 1 at x = π2 , f (x) = 4 at
3π
x= 4 , and f (x) = 1 at x = π (the cycle repeats). Two periods should then be
sketched from 0 to 2π.