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Quadratic Equations
1 Year: 1979 Q: 1(a) Marks: 5
If α, β are the roots of x2 + px + q = 0; and γ, δ are the roots of
x2 + rx + s = 0, evaluate (α − γ)(α − δ)(β − γ)(β − δ) in terms of p, q, r
and s. Deduce the condition that the equations have a common root.
2 Year: 1979 Q: 8(a) Marks: 6
Prove that the minimum value of (a+x)(b+x)
(c+x)
√ √ 2
x > −c is ( a − c + b − c) .
3 Year: 1979 Q: 15(i) Marks: 2
If l, m, n are real, l 6= m, then the roots of the equation
(l − m)x2 − 5(l + m)x − 2(l − m) = 0 are
(a) real and equal (b) complex (c) real and unequal (d) N. O. T.
4 Year: 1980 Q: 1(ii) Marks: 1
Let a > 0, b > 0, and c > 0. Then both the roots of the equation
ax2 + bx + c = 0
(a) are real and negative (b) have negative real parts (c) none of these.
5 Year: 1980 Q: 2(iii) Marks: 1
If a, b, c ∈ R then both the roots of the equation
(x − b)(x − c) + (x − a)(x − c) + (x − a)(x − b) = 0 are always
(a) positive (b) negative (c) real (d) N.O.T.
6 Year: 1980 Q: 10(iii) Marks: 1
If (x2 + px + 1) is a factor of (ax3 + bx + c), then
(a) a2 + c2 = −ab (b) a2 − c2 = −ab (c) a2 − c2 = ab (d) N. O. T.
7 Year: 1980 Q: 10(iv) Marks: 2
12 √
The expression 3+√5+2 is equal to
√ √ √ 2 √ √ √
(a) 1 − √ 5 + √ 2 + √ 10 (b) 1 + √ 5 + √2 − √ 10
(c) 1 + 5 − 2 + 10 (d) 1 − 5 − 2 + 10.
8 Year: 1980
r Q: 15(ii) Marks: 2
Let y = (x+1)(x−3)
(x−2)
Find all the real values of x for which y takes real
values.
9 Year: 1982 Q: Part A: 10(a) Marks: 2
Show that the equation esin x − e− sin x − 4 = 0 has no real solution.
10 Year: 1982 Q: Part B: 1(b) Marks: 2
The number of real solutions of the equation |x|2 − 3|x| + 2 = 0 is
(i) 4 (ii) 1 (iii) 3 (iv) 2.
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11 Year: 1982 Q: Part B: 8 Marks: 2

The coefficient of x99 in the polynomial (x − 1)(x − 2) · · · (x − 100) is · · · .
12 Year:√ 1982 Q: Part B: 12 Marks: 2
2
If 2 + i 3 is a root of the equation x + px + q = 0, where p and q are real,
then (p, q) = (· · · , · · ·).
13 Year: 1983 Q: Part A: 1(v) Marks: 1
If a + b + c = 0, then the quadratic equation 3ax2 + 2bx + c = 0 has
(a) at least one root in [0, 1]
(b) one root in [2, 3] and the other in [−2, −1]
(c) imaginary roots (d) N. O. T.
14 Year: 1983 Q: Part A: 2(i) Marks: 1 (True or False)
The equation 2x2 + 3x + 1 = 0 has an irrational root.
15 Year: 1983 Q: Part B: 1(a) Marks: 2
If one root of the quadratic equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 is equal to the n−th
power of the other, then show that
(acn )1/(n+1) + (an c)1/(n+1) + b = 0
16 Year: 1983 Q: Part B 2(b) Marks: 2
Find all real values of x which satisy
x2 − 3x + 2 > 0 and x2 − 3x − 4 ≤ 0
17 Year: 1984 Q: 1(ii) Marks: 2
2 2
The equation x − x−1 = 1 − x−1 has
(A) no root (B) one root
(C) two equal roots (D) infinitely many roots.
18 Year: 1984 Q: 3(i) Marks: 2 (True or False)
If a < b < c < d, then the roots of the equation
(x − a)(x − c) + 2(x − b)(x − d) = 0 are real and distinct.
19 Year: 1984 Q: 4(ii) Marks: 2
If the product of the roots of the equation x2 − 3kx + 2e2 ln k − 1 = 0 is 7,
then the roots are real for k = · · · .
20 Year: 1984 Q: Part B: 7 Marks: 4
If p be a natural number then prove that pn+1 + (p + 1)2n−1 is divisible by
p2 + p + 1 for every positive integer n.
21 Year: 1985 Q: Part A: 1(ii) Marks: 2
If a, b, c are in GP, then the equations ax2 + 2bx + c = 0 and
dx2 + 2ex + f = 0 have a common root if ad , eb , fc are in:
(A) AP (B) GP (C) HP (D) N. O. T.
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22 Year: 1985 Q: Part A: 3(vi) Marks: 2

True or False:
If P (x) = ax2 + bx + c and Q(x) = −ax2 + dx + c, where ac 6= 0, then
P (x)Q(x) = 0 has at least two real roots.
23 Year: 1985 Q: Part
√ B:x210 Marks:√5
−3 2
Solve for x : (5 + 2 6) + (5 − 2 6)x −3 = 10
24 Year: 1986 Q: 2(i) Marks: 2
Fill in the Blanks: √ √
The solution of equation log7 log5 ( x + 5 + x) = 0 is · · · .
25 Year: 1986 Q: 2(iv) Marks: 2
Fill in the Blanks:
If the quadratic equations x2 + ax + b = 0 and x2 + bx + a = 0(a 6= b) have
a common root, then the numerical value of a + b is · · · .
26 Year: 1986 Q: Part B: 11 Marks: 5
For a ≤ 0, determine all real roots of the equation
x2 − 2a|x − a| − 3a2 = 0
27 Year: 1987 Q: Part A: 1(i) Marks: 2
If a, b, c, d and p are distinct real numbers such that
(a2 + b2 + c2 )p2 − 2(ab + bc + cd)p + (b2 + c2 + d2 ) ≤ 0, then a, b, c, d.
(A) are in A.P. (B) are in G.P. (C) are in H.P. (D) satisfy ab = cd
(E) satisfy N. O. T.
28 Year: 1987 Q: Part A: 2(i) Marks: 2
Fill in the Blanks:
The set of all x in the interval [0, π] for which 2 sin2 x − 3 sin x + 1 ≥ 0, is
···.
29 Year: 1987 Q: Part B: 4(b) Marks: 3
2x 1
Find the set of all x for which (2x2 +5x+2) > (x+1) .
30 Year: 1987 Q: Part B: 6(b) Marks: 3
Let α1 , α2 and β1 , β2 be the roots of ax2 + bx + c = 0 and px2 + qx + r = 0,
respectively. If the system of equations α1 y + α2 z = 0 and β1 y + β2 z = 0
2
has a nontrivial solution, then prove that qb2 = prac
.
31 Year: 1987 Q: Part B: 7(a) Marks: 3
Solve for x the following equation
log(2x+3) (6x2 + 23x + 21) = 4 − log(3x+7) (4x2 + 12x + 9).
32 Year: 1988 Q: Part A: 3 Marks: 5
Solve: |x2 + 4x + 3| + 2x + 5 = 0.
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33 Year: 1989 Q: Part B: 17(i) MCQ Marks: 2

If α and β are the roots of x2 + px + q = 0 and α4 , β 4 are the roots of
x2 − rx + s = 0, then the equation x2 − 4qx + 2q 2 − r = 0 has always
(A) two real roots (B) two positive roots
(C) two negative roots (D) one positive and one negative root.
34 Year: 1989 Q: Part B: 17(iv) Marks: 2
Let a, b, c be real numbers, a 6= 0. If α is a root of a2 x2 + bx + c = 0, β is a
root of a2 x2 − bx − c = 0 and 0 < α < β, then the equation
a2 x2 + 2bx + 2c = 0 has a root γ that always satisfies
(A) γ = α+β 2
(B) γ = α + β2 (C) γ = α (D) α < γ < β.
35 Year: 1989 Q: Part B: 18(ii) Marks: √ 2
(3/4)(log2 x)2 +log2 x−(5/4)
The equation x = 2 has
(A) at least one real solution (B) exactly three real solutions
(C) exactly one irrational solution (D) complex roots.
36 Year: 1990 Q: Part A: 1(a) Marks: 2
The equation (cos p − 1)x2 + (cos p)x + sin p = 0, in the variable x, has real
roots. Then p can take any value in the interval
(A) (0, 2π) (B) (−π, 0) (C) − π2 , π2 (D) (0, π).
37 Year: 1990 Q: Part A: 1(c) Marks: 2
The number of real solutions of the equation sin(ex ) = 5x + 5−x is
(A) 0 (B) 1 (C) 2 (D) infinitely many.
38 Year: 1990 Q: Part A: 2(e) Marks: 2
Fill in the Blanks:
If x < 0, y < 0, x + y + xy = 21 and (x + y) xy = − 12 , then
x = · · · · · · and y = · · · · · · .
39 Year: 1992 Q: Part A: 1(i) Marks: 2
Let α, β be the roots of the equation (x − a)(x − b) = c, c 6= 0.
Then the roots of the equation (x − α)(x − β) + c = 0 are
(A) a, c (B) b, c (C) a, b (D) a + c, b + c.
40 Year: 1992 Q: Part A: 1(ii) Marks: 2
The expression (x + (x3 − 1)1/2 )5 + (x − (x3 − 1)1/2 )5 is a polynomial of
degree
(A) 5 (B) 6 (C) 7 (D) 8.
41 Year: 1992 Q: Part B: 10 Marks: 4
Show that the value of tan x/ tan 3x, wherever defined never lies between
1/3 and 3.
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42 Year: 1995m Q: 3 Marks: 5

Let a, b, c be real. If ax2 + bx + c = 0 has two
 real roots α and β, where
c b
α < −1 and β > 1, then show that 1 + a +  a  < 0.
43 Year: 1995s Q: 17 Marks: 1
If p and q are the roots of x2 + px + q = 0, then
(a) p = 1 (b) p = 1 or 0 (c) p = −2 (d) p = −2 or 0
44 Year: 1995s Q: 28 Marks: 2
If p, q, r are positive and are in A. P., the roots of the quadratic equation
px2 + qx +  r =√0 are all real
 for
 √
(a)  pr − 7 ≥ 4 3 (b)  pr − 7 < 4 3 (c) all p and r (d) no p and r
45 Year: 1997c √ Q: 1(ii)
√ Marks:√2
The equation x + 1 − x − 1 = 4x − 1 has
(a) no solution (b) one solution
(c) two solutions (d) more than two solutions
46 Year: 1997c Q: 17(a) Marks: 3
Find the set of all solutions of the equation
2|y| − |2y−1 − 1| = 2y−1 + 1.
47 Year: 1997n Q: 6(i) Marks: 2
The sum of all the real roots of the equation |x − 2|2 + |x − 2| − 2 = 0 is · · · .
48 Year: 1997n Q: 6(ii) Marks: 2
Let p and q be roots of the equation x2 − 2x + A = 0 and let r and s be the
roots of the equation x2 − 18x + B = 0. If p < q < r < s are in arithmetic
progression, then A = · · · and B = · · · .
49 Year: 1997n Q: 17 Marks: 5 √
Let C be any circle with centre (0, 2). Prove that at the most two ratio-
nal points can be there on C. (A rational point is a point both of whose
coordinates are rational numbers.)
50 Year: 1998 Q: Part II: 14 Marks: 4
Let f (x) = Ax2 + Bx + C where A, B, C are real numbers. Prove that if
f (x) is an integer whenever x is an integer, then the numbers 2A, A + B
and C are all integers. Conversely, prove that if the numbers 2A, A + B and
C are all integers then f (x) is an integer whenever x is an integer.
51 Year: 1999 Q: 12 Marks: 1
The harmonic
√ 2 mean
√ of the roots√of the equation
(5 + 2)x − (4 + 5)x + 8 + 2 5 = 0 is
(A) 2 (B) 4 (C) 6 (D) 8.
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52 Year: 1999 Q: 14 Marks: 1

If the roots of the equation x2 − 2ax + a2 + a − 3 = 0 are real less than 3,
then
(A) a < 2 (B) 2 ≤ a ≤ 3 (C) 3 < a ≤ 4 (D) a > 4.
53 Year: 1999 Q: 24 Marks: 1
In a triangle P QR, 6 R = π/2. If tan(P/2) and tan(Q/2) are the roots of
the equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 (a 6= 0), then
(A) a + b = c (B) b + c = a (C) a + c = b (D) b = c.
54 Year: 2000m Q: 2(a) Marks: 3
If α, β are the roots of ax2 + bx + c = 0, (a 6= 0) and α + δ, β + δ are the
roots of Ax2 + Bx + C = 0, (A 6= 0) for some constant δ, then prove that
b2 −4ac 2
a2
= B −4AC
A2

55 Year: 2000m Q: 9(a) Marks: 3

A coin has probability p of showing head when tossed. It is tossed n times.
Let pn denote the probability that no two (or more) consecutive heads occur.
Prove that
p1 = 1, p2 = 1 − p2 and pn = (1 − p)pn−1 + p(1 − p)pn−2 for all n ≥ 3.
Year: 2000m Q: 9(b) Marks: 3
In (a), prove by induction on n, that pn = Aαn + Bβ n for all n ≥ 1, where
α and β are the roots of the quadratic equation x2 − (1 − p)x − p(1 − p) = 0
2 +β−1 p2 +α−1
and A = pαβ−a 2 , B = αβ−β 2 .

56 Year: 2000s Q: 4 Marks: 1

If α and β (α < β), are the roots of the equation x2 + bx + c = 0, where
c < 0 < b, then
(A) 0 < α < β (B) α < 0 < β < |α| (C) α < β < 0 (D) α < 0 < |α| < β.
57 Year: 2000s Q: 30 Marks: 1
If b > a, then the equation (x − a)(x − b) − 1 = 0, has
(A) both roots in [a, b] (B) both roots in (−∞, a)
(C) both roots in (b, +∞) (D) one root in (−∞, a) and other in (b, +∞).
58 Year: 2000s Q: 32 Marks: 1
For the equation 3x2 + px + 3 = 0, p > 0, if one of the roots is square of the
other, then p is equal to
(A) 1/3 (B) 1 (C) 3 (D) 2/3.
59 Year: 2001s Q: 1 Marks: 1
Let α, β be the roots of x2 −x+p = 0 and γ, δ be the roots of x2 −4x+q = 0.
If α, β, γ, δ are in G.P., then the integral values of p and q respectively, are
(A) −2, −32 (B) −2, 3 (C) −6, 3 (D) −6, −32.
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60 Year: 2001s Q: 32 Marks: 1

The number of solutions of log4 (x − 1) = log2 (x − 3) is
(A) 3 (B) 1 (C) 2 (D) 0.
61 Year: 2001m Q: 3 Marks: 3
Let −1 ≤ p ≤ 1. Show that the equation 4x3 − 3x − p = 0 has a unique root
in the interval [1/2, 1] and identify it.
62 Year: 2001m Q: 11(a) Marks: 3
(a) Let a, b, c be real number with a 6= 0 and let α, β be the roots of the
equation ax2 + bx + c = 0. Express the roots of a3 x2 + abcx + c3 = 0 in
terms of α, β.
63 Year: 2002s Q: 14 Marks: 1
2
The set of all real numbers x for which x√ − |x +
√2| + x > 0, is
(A) (−∞, −2) ∪ (2, ∞) (B) (−∞,
√ − 2) ∪ ( 2, ∞)
(C) (−∞, −1) ∪ (1, ∞) (D) ( 2, ∞).
64 Year: 2003s Q: 14 Marks: 1
If f (x) = x2 + 2bx + 2c2 and g(x) = −x2 − 2cx + b2 such that
min f (x) > max g(x), then the relation between√b and c, is
(A) no real √value of b and c (B) 0 < c < √ b 2
(C) |c| < |b| 2 (D) |c| > |b| 2.
65 Year: 2003m Q: 13 Marks: 1
If x2 + (a − b)x + (1 − a − b) = 0 where a, b ∈ R then find the values of a
for which equation has unequal real roots for all values of b.
66 Year: 2004s Q: 12 Marks: 1
∀x, x2 + 2ax + 10 − 3a > 0, then the interval in which a lies is
(A) a < −5 (B) −5 < a < 2 (C) a > 5 (D) 2 < a < 5.
67 Year: 2004s Q: 14 Marks: 1
If one root is square of the other root of the equation x2 + px + q = 0, then
the relation between p and q is
(A) p3 − q(3p − 1) + q 2 = 0 (B) p3 − q(3p + 1) + q 2 = 0
(C) p3 + q(3p − 1) + q 2 = 0 (D) p3 + q(3p + 1) + q 2 = 0.
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Answers
1– 2– 3c 4b 5c 6c 7b 8 [−1, 2) ∪ [3, ∞)
9– 10 (i) 11 -5050 12 −4, 7 13 a 14 F 15 – 16 [−1, 1)∪(2, 4]
√
17 A 18 T 19 2 20 – 21 A 22 T 23 ±2, ± 2 24 4
√ √
25 −1 26 a( 6 − 1), a(1 − 2) 27 B 28 [0, π6 )] ∪ { π2 } ∪ [ 5π
6
, π]
√
29 (−2, −1) ∪ (− 32 , − 12 ) 30 – 31 −4, − 14 32 −4, −1 − 3 33 A, D
34 D 35 B 36 D 37 A 38 − 41 , − 14 39 C 40 C 41 –
42 – 43 b 44 a 45 a 46 {−1} ∪ [1, ∞) 47 4
48 A = −3, B = 77 49 – 50 – 51 B 52 A 53 A 54 – 55 –
 
1
56 B 57 D 58 C 59 A 60 B 61 cos 3
cos−1 (p) 62 αβ 2 , α2 β
63 B 64 D 65 a > 1 66 B 67 A.