Edexcel AS Further Maths Roots of polynomials

Section 1: Roots and coefficients

Solutions to Exercise level 1

1. (i) 2 x 2  9x  5  0
b 9
Sum of roots   
a 2
c 5 5
Product of roots   
a 2 2

(ii) 5 x 2  x  2  0
b 1 1
Sum of roots    
a 5 5
c 2
Product of roots  
a 5

(iii) 3 x  x  2   4 x  5
3x 2  6x  4x  5
3x 2  2 x  5  0
b 2
Sum of roots   
a 3
c 5
Product of roots  
a 3

2. (i) x 3  3x 2  2 x  4  0
b 3
        3
a 1
c 2
        2
a 1
d 4
      4
a 1

(ii) 2 x 3  5 x  3  0
b 0
       0
a 2
c 5
      
a 2
d 3 3
     
a 2 2

1 of 3 14/05/18 © MEI
integralmaths.org
Edexcel AS FM Roots of polynomials 1 Exercise solns

(iii) 3 x 3  x 2  4 x  1  0
b 1
       
a 3
c 4 4
       
a 3 3
d 1 1
     
a 3 3

3. 3 x 2  11 x  4  0
11
  
3
4
  
3
(i) For new equation,
sum of roots    2    2  (   )  4
  113  4   233
and product of roots  (  2)(   2)    2(   )  4
  43 
 4  10
22
3
b 23 c
So for new equation,    and  10
a 3 a
Taking a  3 gives b  23 and c  30
The new equation is 3 x 2  23 x  30  0

(ii) For new equation,

sum of roots  3  3   3(   )
 3   113  11
and product of roots  3  3   9
 9   43  12
b c
So for new equation,   11 and  12
a a
Taking a  1 gives b  11 and c  12
The new equation is x 2  11 x  12  0

4. p  q  5 , p 2  q 2  19

( p  q )2  p 2  q 2  2 pq
5 2  19  2 pq
6  2 pq
pq  3

2 of 3 14/05/18 © MEI
integralmaths.org
Edexcel AS FM Roots of polynomials 1 Exercise solns

b b
Sum of roots   5   b  5 a
a a
c c
Product of roots  3  c  3a
a a
Putting a = 1 gives b = -5 and c = 3
A quadratic equation with roots p and q is x 2  5 x  3  0

5. x 2  x  6  0
    1
  6
1 1  
      
  
1
 1 
6
 1  61
  56

6. Sum of roots = -5
1  4    5
  8
The third root is -8.

   a
 1  4    4  8    8  1   a
4  32  8  a
a  28

  b
1  4  8  b
b  32

3 of 3 14/05/18 © MEI
integralmaths.org