1

SET A Quadratic Equations

1 Consider the quadratic equation x2 − (m − 3)x + m = 0, m ∈ ℜ. Find

the values of m for which the roots are
(i) real and distinct (ii) equal (iii) not real (iv) opposite in sign (v) equal in
magnitude but opposite in sign (vi) positive (vii) negative (viii) such that
at least one root is positive (ix) one root is smaller than 2 and the other
root is greater than 2 (x) both the roots are greater than 2 (xi) both the
roots are smaller than 2 (xii) exactly one root lies between 1 and 2 (xiii)
both the roots lie between 1 and 2 (xiv) at least one root lies between 1 and
2 (xv) one root is greater than two and the other root is smaller than 1.
√
2 If p+ q is a root of the quadratic equation ax2 +bx+c = 0, a, b, c, p, q ∈ Q
√
and q is positive non square then p − q is also a root of the given quadratic
equation.
3 Consider the polynomial equation an xn + an−1 xn−1 + · · · + a0 , ai ∈ Z.
Find all possible rational numbers which could be the roots of the given
equation.
4 Prove that the roots of ax2 + 2bx + c = 0 will be real and distinct iff the
roots of (a + c)(ax2 + 2bx + c) = 2(ac − b2 )(x2 + 1) are imaginary.
5 Let α, β be the roots of the equation ax2 + 2bx + c = 0. Let α + γ, β + γ
be the roots of Ax2 + 2Bx + C = 0. Prove that A2 (b2 − ac) = a2 (B 2 − AC).
6 α, β are the roots of the equation ax2 + 2bx + c = 0. Find the equation
whose roots are (i) 1−α , 1−β (ii) 2α+3
1+α 1+β
1 1
, 2β+3 .
7 If a, b, c are odd integers then ax2 + bx + c = 0 can not have rational roots.
8 If ax2 − bx + 5 = 0 does not have two distinct real roots then find the
minimum value of 5a + b.
9 Find the values of a for which ax2 + (a − 3)x + 1 < 0 for at least one
positive real x.
10 Find the values of a for which 4t − (a − 4)2t + 94 a < 0 ∀t ∈ (1, 2).
11 Find the condition on a, b, c such that a(ax2 + bx + c) > 0 ∀x ∈ R+ and
a(ax2 + bx + c) < 0 for at least one negative real x.
(x−3)(x+2)(x+5)
12 Solve: (x+1)(x−7)
> 0.
2 2
13 Solve: (i) 2sin x
− 2cos x
− 1 = 0 (ii) 4x + 6x − 9x = 0.
14 Solve: (i) log3 (3x − 8) = 2 − x (ii) log9 (x2 − 5x + 6) > log3 (x − 4).
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15 If α is a root of the equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 and β is a root of the

equation (−a)x2 + bx + c = 0 then prove that there will be a root of the
equation 12 ax2 + bx + c = 0 lying between α and β.
16 Let p(x) = c2 (x−a)(x−b)
(c−a)(c−b)
+ a2 (x−b)(x−c)
(a−b)(a−c)
+ b2 (x−c)(x−a)
(b−c)(b−a)
, a 6= b 6= c. Prove
2
that p(x) has the property that p(y) = y ∀y ∈ ℜ.
17 Find the number of maximum possible positive (negative) roots of the
equation x6 − 3x5 + 4x3 + 3x2 + 4 = 0.
18 If b2 < 2ac then prove that ax3 + bx2 + cx + d = 0 has exactly one real
root.
19 If α, β, γ are the roots of the equation x3 + ax + b = 0 then find the value
of α3 + β 3 + γ 3 .
20 Solve: |x2 − 3| + |2 − x| = |x2 − x − 1|.
21 Find the condition on a, b, c, d such that equations 2ax3 +bx2 +cx+d = 0
and 2ax2 + 3bx + 4c = 0 have a common root.
22 If f (x) = (8m + 9)x2 − 8mx + 16 then find the values of m for which at
least one root of the equation f (x) = 0 is positive.
SET B
6x2 −22x+21
1 Find the least value of 5x2 −18x+17
for real x.
tan x
2 Show that tan 3x
never lies between 1/3 and 3.
3 If |ax2 + bx + c| ≤ 1 ∀x ∈ [−1, 1], prove that |2ax + b| ≤ 4 ∀x ∈ [−1, 1].
4 Consider the inequation x2 + |x + a| − 9 < 0. Find the values of the real
parameter a so that the given inequation has at least one negative solution.
5 Find all the values of θ for which 1 lies between the roots of the equation
3x2 − 3 sin θ x − 2 cos2 θ = 0.
6 x1 , x2 are the roots of x2 − 3x + a = 0 and x3 , x4 are the roots of
x2 − 12x + b = 0. If x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 form an increasing G.P., then find a and b.
7 Find all the real numbers x satisfying
√ √ x/2 √ √ x/2
x2 − 5x + 6 + x2 − 5x + 4 + x2 − 5x + 6 − x2 − 5x + 4
x+4
=2 4 .
x2 −bc
8 Show that if x is real then 2x−b−c
has no value lying between b and c.
9 If a < b < c < d then prove that for any real k the quadratic equation
(x − a)(x − b) + k(x − c)(x − d) = 0 has real roots.
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10 If x2 + cx + ab = 0 and x2 + bx + ca = 0 have a common root, then other

roots satisfy the equation x2 + ax + bc = 0.
11 Let x, y, z be real variables satisfying the equations x + y + z = 6 and
xy + yz + zx = 7. Find the range in which the variables can lie.
12 Solve: log4 (2x2 + x + 1) − log2 (2x − 1) = 1.
13 Find the range of the real values of x, y if 2x2 + 6xy + 5y 2 = 1.
14 If 2x3 +
√ ax2 + bx + 4 = 0, a, b > 0 has 3 real roots, then prove that
3
a + b ≥ 12 4.
15 If one root of the quadratic equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 is equal to the
1 1
nth porwer of the other root, then show that (acn ) n+1 + (an c) n+1 + b = 0,
where n is an even natural number.
16 Let a, b, c be real. If ax2 + bx + c = 0 has two
 real roots α, β satisfying
α < −1 and β > 1, then prove that 1 + ac +  ab  < 0.
17 Find the condition in terms the coefficients of a polynomial of degree n
such that it will not have all real roots.
18 Prove that 2x4 + 1402 = y 4 has no integral solutions.
19 Find the values of a for which the inequality
tan2 x + (a + 1) tan x − (a − 3) < 0, is true for at least one x ∈ (0, π/2).
2A 2 B 2C 2H
20 Show taht the equation x−a + x−b + x−c + · · · + x−h = k has no imaginary
roots where a, A, b, B, · · · , h, H, k ∈ R.
21 Find all the values of the parameter c for which the inequality
1 + log2 (2x2 + 2x + 72 ) ≥ log2 (cx2 + c) possesses at least one solution.
22 Find all the real values of the parameter a for which the equation
x(x + 1)(x + a)(x + a + 1) = a2 has four real roots.

SET C
 2

1 If f (x) =  xx2+ax+1
+x+1
 , then find the values of a for which f (x) < 3, ∀x ∈ R+


anf f (x) > 3 for at least one negative real x.

2 Find x, y > 0 satisfying the system of equations
xx+y = y n and y x+y = x2n y n , n > 0.
3 If the roots of the equation x2 + px + q = 0 differ from the roots of the
equation x2 + qx + p = 0 by the same quantity then prove that p + q + 4 = 0.
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4 If a, b, c, p, q, r are real numbers such that ax2 + bx + c ≥ 0 and

px2 + qx + r ≥ 0 for all real numbers, then show that
apx2 + bqx + cr ≥ 0 for all real x.
5 Find all integers a such that (x − a)(x − 12) + 2 can be factored as
(x + b)(x + c) where b, c are integers.
6 If k(x)(x2 − 7x + 12) = h(x)(x2 + 7x + 12) then prove that
f (x) = k(x)h(x) + x4 − 25x2 + 144 has four real roots. Find them.
7 If a, b are the roots of the equation x2 + px + 1 = 0 and c, d are the roots
of the equation x2 + qx + 1 = 0, then show that
q 2 − p2 = (a − c)(b − c)(a + d)(b + d).
8 If 0 < m ≤ 3, then show that the roos of the equation
(m − 2)x2 − (8 − 2m)x − (8 − 3m) = 0 are real. Find the range of values of
m for which one root is positive and the other root is negative.
√ √ √ √
9 Solve: (i) 5x2 − 6x + 8 − 5x2 − 6x − 7 = 1 (ii) 23−x+1 √ = 11−3√ x
.
x 5 x−9

10 Show that x = 4, y = 4 are the only real solutions of the equation

x2 − xy + y 2 = 4(x + y − 4).
11 If one root of the equation (k − m)x2 + kx + 1 = 0 is double the other
and k is real then find the greatest value of m.
12 Find the integral values of a for which x2 + (a − 1)x − (a + 2) = 0 has
integral roots. Find the roots.
1 1
13 If the roots of the equation x+p + x+q = 1r are equal in magnitude but
opposite in sign, show that p + q = 2r and the product of the roots is
−(p2 +q 2 )
2
.
14 Prove that the arithmetic mean of the roots of the equation x2 − 2ax +
b2 = 0 is equal to the geometric mean of the roots of the equation x2 −
2bx + a2 = 0 and vice-versa.
15 If p, q, r, s ∈ R and pr = 2(q + s) then show that at least one of the
equations x2 + px + q = 0, x2 + rx + s = 0 has real roots.
16 Let a, b be two roots of the equation x3 + px2 + qx + r = 0 satisfying the
relation ab + 1 = 0. Prove that r2 + pr + q + 1 = 0.
17 Find all the values of the parameter a for which 4x − a2x − a + 3 ≤ 0 is
satisfied by at least one real x.
18 Prove that for any value of a the inequality (a2 + 3)x2 + (a + 2)x − 4 < 2
is true for atleast one negative x.
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19 Find the values of the parameter m for which the roots of the quadratic
equation x2 + 2(m − 1)x + m + 5 = 0 are
(i) real and distinct (ii) equal (iii) not real (iv) opposite in sign (v) equal in
magnitude but opposite in sign (vi) positive (vii) negative (viii) such that
at least one root is positive (ix) one root is smaller than 3 and the other
root is greater than 3 (x) both the roots are greater than 3 (xi) both the
roots are smaller than 3 (xii) exactly one root lies between 1 and 3 (xiii)
both the roots lie between 1 and 3 (xiv) at least one root lies between 1 and
3 (xv) one root is greater than 3 and the other root is smaller than 1.
x2 +2x cos 2α+1
20 If β is such that sin 2β 6= 0, then show that the expression x2 +2x cos 2β+1
cos2 α sin2 α
always lies between cos2 β
and sin2 β
.
√ √ √ √
21 Solve: 3x3 = (x2 + 18x − 32)(x2 − 18x + 32).
22 Solve: (x2 + 2)2 + 8x2 = 6x(x2 + 2).

SET D
√ √ 1+3+5+···+(2y−1) 20
1 log10 x + log10 x + log10 4 x + · · · = y and 4+7+10+···+(3y+1)
= 7 log10 x
.
Solve for x and y.
2 If 2(a2 x4 + b2 y 4 ) = c4 , then find the maximum value of x2 y 2 in terms of
a, b, c.
3 The real numbers x1 , x2 , x3 satisfying the equation x3 − x2 + ax + b = 0
are in A.P.. Find the intervals in which a, b lie.
4 If equations ax3 + 2bx2 + 3cx + 4d = 0 and ax2 + bx + c = 0 have a non
zero common root, then prove that (c2 − 2bd)(b2 − ac) ≥ 0.
2
5 If xx2+ax+3
+x+a
takes all real values for permissible real values of x then prove
3
that 4a + 39 < 0.
6 If (i) a, b (an 6= bn ) are the roots of x2 + px + q = 0 and x2n + pn xn + q n = 0
(ii) ab is a root of xn + 1 + (x + 1)n = 0
then prove that n must be an even integer.
7 If f (x) = ax2 + bx + c and α, β are the roots of px2 + qx + r = 0 then
2
show that f (α)f (β) = (cp−ar) −(bp−aq)(cq−br)
p2
. Hence or otherwise, show that
2 2
if ax + bx + c = 0 and px + qx + r = 0 have a common root then
(bp − aq), (cp − ar), (cq − br) are in G.P..
8 If three equations x2 +ax+12 = 0, x2 +bx+15 = 0, x2 +(a+b)x+36 = 0
have a common positive root find a, b and the roots of the equations.
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9 If α, β are the real and distinct roots of the equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 and
α4 , β 4 are the roots of the equation dx2 + ex + f = 0 then prove that the
roots of the equation a2 dx2 − 4acdx + 2c2 d + a2 e = 0 are always real and
opposite in sign.
10 Find the values of a for which the equation
(x2 + x + 2)2 − (a − 3)(x2 + x + 2)(x2 + x + 1) + (a − 4)(x2 + x + 1)2 = 0
has at least one real root.
11 If |ax2 + bx + c| ≤ 1 ∀ |x| ≤ 1 then prove that |cx2 + bx + a| ≤ 2.
 √ m
n+ n2 −4
12 If a = where n ≥ 2 and m are natural numbers then prove
√ 2
k+ k2 −4
that a = 2
.
13 If the two equations ax3 + 3bx2 + 3cx + d = 0 and ax2 + 2bx + c = 0
have a common root and the system of equations ax + by = 0, cx + dy = 0
have a non trivial solution then prove that either a, b, c are in G.P. or b, c, d
are in G.P..
14 Find the range of the values of a for which all the roots of the equation
(a − 1)(1 + x + x2 )2 = (a + 1)(1 + x2 + x4 ) are imaginary.

v Find the real roots of the equation

15
v
u u s
u u r q
u
tx + atx + a x + · · · + a x + a (a + 1)x = x, a > 0. (n radical signs.)

16 If a, b, c ∈ R and a 6= 0 then solve the system of equations

ax21 + bx1 + c = x2 , ax22 + bx2 + c = x3 , · · · , ax2n + bxn + c = x1 , in n
unknowns x1 , x2 , · · · , xn when (i) (b − 1)2 − 4ac = 0 (ii) (b − 1)2 − 4ac > 0.
q
2 1 2x+1
17 Let y = x2 −x+1 − x+1
− x3 +1
. Prove that y takes all real values when
x ∈ (−∞, −1) ∪ [0, 1].
18 If β +cos2 α, β +sin2 α are the roots of x2 +2bx+c = 0 and γ +cos4 α, γ +
sin4 α are the roots of x2 + 2Bx + C = 0 then prove that b2 − B 2 = c − C.
19 For what real values of a do the roots of the equation x2 −2x−(a2 −1) = 0
lie between the roots of the equation x2 − 2(a + 1)x + a(a − 1) = 0?
20 If ax2 + 2bx + c = 0 and a1 x2 + 2b1 x + c1 = 0 have exactly one root in
common then prove that b2 − ac and b21 − a1 c1 must be perfect squares.
21 Let a, b, c be positive integers. Consider all the quadratic equations of
the type ax2 − bx + c = 0 which have distinct real roots in the interval (0, 1).
Find the least positive integer a for which such a quadratic equation exists.
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22 Suppose a, b, c are integers with a > 1 and p is a prime number. Show

that if ax2 + bx + c is equal to p for two distinct integral values of x then
ax2 + bx + c can not be equal to 2p for any integral value of x.
q q
23 Solve: (i) 3 4(3x + 7) − 3 3(4x − 11) = 1. (ii) (6 − x)4 + (8 − x)4 = 16.
√ √
24 Solve: 3x2 + 6x + 7 + 5x2 + 10x + 14 = 4 − 2x − x2 .
25 Solve the inequality given that a ≥ 0: a3 x4 + 6a2 x2 − x + 9a + 3 ≥ 0.
26 Find the values of the parameter a for which (1 − 2a)x2 − 6ax − 1 = 0
and ax2 − x + 1 = 0 have at least one common root.
27 Find the condition that the equation x3 − px2 + qx − r = 0 may have
two of its roots equal to each other but of opposite sign.
q √ q √
28 Solve: (x + 3) − 4 x − 1 + (x + 8) − 6 x − 1 = 1.
29 Find the values of a for which x4 + (1 − 2a)x2 + (a2 − 1) = 0 has no
real solutions.
30 Find the values of the parameter a for which there is at least one x
2
satisfying the conditions x2 + (1 − 3a
2
)x + a2 − a2 < 0, x = a2 − 21 .
31 Find the value of a for which the inequality 3 − |x − a| > x2 is satisfied
by at least one negative x.