Solutions CEX-Q-0220/21

QA - 19 : Algebra – 2

1 3 2 3 3 3 4 2 5 3 6 2 7 3 8 3 9 4 10 4
11 2 12 2 13 1 14 1 15 1 16 5 17 5 18 3 19 2 20 2
21 1 22 1 23 3 24 7 25 1 26 2 27 3 28 2 29 2 30 2

1. 3 F(x) = 0 5. 3 A and C can take any value from 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12.

 x2 – 18x + 45 = 0 So total number of ways will be 6 × 6 = 36. B can have
x2 – 15x – 3x + 45 = 0 3 values. So number of ways of putting the values of
 x(x – 15) –3(x – 15) = 0 A, B and C will be 36 × 3 = 108.
(x – 15) (x – 3) = 0 But the roots of the equation should be real, so
 x = 3 or x = 15.
B2  4AC. The only exception will be B = 22, A = 12
and B = 12. So the answer will be 108 – 1 = 107.
b  b2  4ac
2. 3 Using formula : x 
2a 6. 2 The given equation is (1 – p) x2 + 4x + p = 0
Here a = 1, b = 2, c = –6 It’s discriminant 16 – 4 (1 – p) p or 16 – 4p (1 – p)
is positive as 0 < p < 1.
2  4  4(1)( 6)
x  –4 
2(1) Als o sum of roots   and product of
 1 – p  
2  4  24 2  28
   p 
2 2 roots   are negative and positive in s ign
1– p 
2  2 7 respectively. Therefore, roots of the given equation
  1  7
2 are real and negative.
Hence, (2) is the correct choice.
Henc e, 1  7 and 1  7 are the roots of
equation.
7. 3 x = 5 is an apparent solution.
Dividing Nr and Dr by x2 in L.H.S. and 52 in R.H.S.,
3. 3 t2
k = – t, t  4
k2 – 2k = (t2 – t)2 – 2(t2 – t) = (t – 2)(t – 1) t (t + 1)
The above number is a product of four consecutive x2  x  1 52  5  1
integers, and thus it must be divisible by 24. x2  52
x2  x  1 52  5  1
4. 2 ax2 + bx + 1 = 0
x2 52
For real roots, b2  4ac  0
1 1
 1
 b2  4a(1)  0 1  x  x2 5 52
 
1  x  x2 1  1  1
 b2  4a 5 52
For a = 1, 4a = 4,  b = 2, 3, 4
1
a = 2, 4a = 8,  b = 3, 4 x= is another possible solution
5
a = 3, 4a = 12,  b = 4
And since it turns out to be a quadratic equation, it can
a = 4, 4a = 16,  b = 4 never have more than two roots.
 Number of equations possible = 7.

QA - 19 Page 1
8. 3 Quadratic equation having roots (4, 3) is 12. 2 Let f(x) = ax2 + bx + c.
(x – 4)(x – 3) = 0 If a > 0, then f(x) will be an upward parabola and f(1)
 x2 – 7x + 12 = 0 … (i) must be less than zero.
Quadratic equation having roots (10, 1) is If a < 0, then f(x) will be an downward parabola and
(x – 10)(x – 1) = 0 f(1) must be greater than zero.
 x2 – 11x + 10 = 0 … (ii) Hence, a(a + b + c) is definitely less than zero.
Picking the coefficient of x from (i) and the constant
term from (ii), we get the required equation 13. 1
x2 – 7x + 10 = 0
 (x – 5) (x – 2) = 0
 x = 2, 5
Hence, actual roots are (5, 2).
 
9. 4 f(x) = x2 + ax + 10 = 0
Let  and  be the roots of f(x) –1 1
We know, sum of roots  +  = –a ...(i)
Product of roots =  = 10 ...(ii)
Here product  = 10 (positive)
So,  and  both must be negative or both must be
positive.
Now possible factors of 10 are 1 × 10 or 2 × 5 OR
  = 2 and  = 5 (or vice versa)
or  = 1 and  = 10 (or vice versa)
or  = –2 and  = –5 (or vice versa)
or = –1 and  = –10 (or vice versa)
From (i),
 Possible values of a are 7, – 7, 11 and – 11
 4 value of ‘a’ are possible.

10. 4 Since the maximum value of f(x) occurs at a root, 

there will be only one distinct root of the given equation –1 +1
and it may be positive or negative. Hence, the number
of distinct positive real roots will be either 0 or 1.

11. 2 Since f(x) has a minimum value at x = 0.5, its graph

must be an upward parabola symmetric about the line
x = 0.5. So one root will be less than 0.5 and the other
root will be greater than 0.5. Now since the equation
has integral roots, only one lying to the right will be
positive and the other will be either 0 or negative. We
can see the following graph to understand the situation.
Y 14. 1
X that the parabola does cut the x-axis and the position
0 of (6, 0) can be shown as-
–4 –3 –2 –1 1 2 3 4
The graph of the quadratic equation, (in both the above
cases) when the coefficient of x2 is positive, is given
above. So, f(1) > 0 and f(–1) > 0
Let f(x) = x2 + 2(p – 3) x + 9
As the co-efficient of x2 in ‘x2 + 2(p – 3) x + 9’ is
greater than zero, we can say that f(x) must be
represented by an upward parabola. So either it would
cut the x-axis at two points (in case of real distinct
roots for f(x) = 0) or it won’t.
If 6 lies between the roots of f(x) = 0, than this means
f(x)
(6, 0)
x

(6, f(6))

Hence, the number of distinct positive real roots in this Definitely f(6) is less than zero (see figure).
case is 1.

Page 2 QA - 19
  5 25  25
Hence,  62  2 p – 3 6  9  0  f(x)  –3  x 2  2  x 
6

36  12
3

3 2
p–  5 11
 f(x)  –3  x   
4  6 12
Note: W e do not need to consider D > 0 (i.e. the  1 x  0
condition for real roots) as f(6) < 0 itself ensures that
Maximum value of f(x) will be at x = 0
the upward parabola of f(x) cuts the x-axis at some
points and hence f(x) = 0 has real roots. 3  25 11
Maximum value of f(x)    3 .
36 12
15. 1 Given that f(x) = ax2+ bx + c
Also, f(5) = –3f(2)  f(5) + 3f(2) = 0 20. 2 y3 – ay2 + by – c = 0
 (25a + 5b + c) + 3(4a + 2b + c) = 0 Let the roots of the above cubic equation be ( – 1),
 37a + 11b + 4c = 0 …(i) , ( + 1)
Also, as 3 is a root of f(x) = 0, thus, f(3) = 0.   ( – 1) +  ( + 1) + ( + 1) ( –1) = b
Therefore, 9a + 3b + c = 0 …(ii)  2 –  + 2 +  + 2 – 1 = b
Using equation (i) and (ii), we get that a = b  32 – 1 = b
Therefore, c = –12a Thus, the minimum possible value of ‘b’ will be equal
 f(x) = a(x2 + x –12) = a(x + 4) (x – 3) to – 1 and this value is obtained at  = 0.
Therefore, the other root of f(x) = 0 is –4.
Hence, sum of roots = 3 + (–4) = –1. 21. 1 Since x1, x2, x3 and x4 are roots of
3x4 + 2x3 + 7x2 + x + 2 = 0, we have,
16. 5 f(x) = a(x2
+ x – 12)
3(x – x1) (x – x2) (x – x3) (x – x4)
Therefore, the value of a + b + c cannot be uniquely
determined. = 3x4 + 2x3 + 7x2 + x + 2
Putting x = 1 we have,
17. 5 f(x) = 2x2 + 7x – 5 3  2  7  1 2
(1 – x1) (1 – x2) (1 – x3) (1 – x4) =  5.
 7  3
 f(x)  2  x 2  x   5
 2  22. 1 Let the three consecutive positive integers be equal to
2 2 ‘n – 1’, ‘n’ and ‘n + 1’.
 7 7  7
 f(x)  2  x 2  2  x      5  2   
 4  4   4  n  1  n2   n  13   3n 2
 

 7
2
89  n3  4n2  4n  9n
 f(x)  2  x   
 4 8  n2  5n  4  0 (since n  0)
2
 7  n  1 or n  4
As  x    0 ,
 4
Since the three integers are positive, the value of ‘n’
89 cannot be equal to 1, therefore the value of ‘n’ = 4 or m
Minimum value of f(x) 
8 = n – 1 = 3.
Hence, the three consecutive positive integers are 3,
Maximum value of f(x)   4 and 5.

18. 3 Let f(x) = ax2+ bx + c 23. 3 The given equation is x3 – 6 x2 + 11x – 6 = 0, sum of the
At x = 1, f(1) = a + b + c = 3 roots is a + b + c = 6 and product of the roots abc = 6.
At x = 0, f(0) = c = 2 Only values which satisfies are 1, 2 and 3.
The maximum of the function f(x) is attained at So value of r for the equation x3 – p x2 + qx – r = 0 is
b a 1 (a + b)(b + c) (c + a)
x=  =1= i.e., (1 + 2)( 2 + 3)(3 + 1) = 60.
2a 2a
 a = –1 and b = 2 24. 7 Let y = n3 – 8n2 + 13n – 6
 f(x) = –1x2 + 2x + 2 At n = 1, y = 0
Therefore, f(10) = –78.  (n – 1) (n2 – 7n + 6) = (n – 1)2 (n – 6)
Now (n – 1) 2 is always positive.
19. 2 f(x) = 5x – 3x2 – 3 For n < 6, the expression gives a negative quantity.
 f(x)  –(3x 2  5x)  3 Therefore, the least value of n will be 7.
Hence, m = 7.

QA - 19 Page 3
25. 1 2x 2  x  3p  0 28. 2 x  x  1 x  1

 x2  x  p  0  x  1  x  1 x
On squaring both sides, we get
For the above two equations to have a common root ,
x  1 2 x  x  1 x
x2 x 1
  2 2
p  3p 3p  2p 2  1 
 2 x 1   1 x 
Eliminating x, we get that 25p2  4p 16
On further simplifying, we get x = .
9
4
 p  0 or 
25
29. 2 m  2  2  2  ...
 4  4
Sum of all possible real values of p  0      
 25  25 m  2m
m2 = 2 + m
m2 – m – 2 = 0
26. 2 Let us say the roots are   and given that sum (m – 2)(m + 1) = 0
of the roots        = 4 and product of roots m = 2 or m = –1
 = 1. m = – 1 is not valid
Since    and  are positive, the only possible m = 2.
values of and is = == = 1because the
product of these four roots is maximum.
  = 1. 30. 2 4 4 4 4x x
 a = = 6 W e can rewrite it as
–b =   
 –b = 4  b = –4 4 4x x
Squaring both sides,

 4  4  x  x2
27. 3 f  x  = x3 –  x 2  x
2  4  x  x2  4
Also, the roots of the equation f(x) = 0 are ,  and . Again squaring both sides
4 – x = (x2 – 4)2
So,             0 ...(i) x4 – 8x2 + x + 12 = 0
(x2 – x – 3) (x2 + x – 4) = 0
 
Also,           (   )  2
2 2 1  13 1  17
x , x
2 2
 
    0       But positive values of x are considered.
2 2
So, total number of roots = 2.
1 1
 ,  ...(ii)
2 2
And –  
  1,    2

 1  1  35
 f(3)  (3  2)  3   3   
 2  2 4

Page 4 QA - 19