MAT 102 - QUIZ # 1 PREP

Instructions

Quiz #1 will be held from 7.10pm → 7.40pm on Tuesday, September 20, 2022. It will consist
of two problems (perhaps with subparts). More information, like room assignments, rules for writing
quizzes/tests and what to bring to Quiz #1 will be posted to the course page soon.

Please use these questions to prepare for Quiz #1. In addition to these problems, work on as many
of the “Week 1 Problems” as possible. (You can find these problems posted in the “Week 1 Guide”
on the course page.)
Remember, you must fully explain/justify your answers to all questions in this course!

Assigned Questions

(1) For which real number(s) a does the equation

x2 − ax + (a − 1) = 0
have:

(a) No real solutions.

(b) Exactly one real solution.

(c) Exactly two real solutions.

(2) Show that for any real number a, the equation

x2 − (2a + 1)x + (a2 + a − 12) = 0
has exactly two solutions. Find all a for which this equation has two negative solutions?

(3) Let x, y ≥ 0 be two non-negative real numbers so that x + y = c (where c ≥ 0 is fixed number).

(a) Find the maximum value of x · y, if such a maximum exists.

(b) Find the minimum value of x · y, if such a minimum exists.

(c) Does your answer to either (a) or (b) change if we drop the assumption that x, y ≥ 0?
Explain.

(4) Find all real numbers m so that the equation

4x2 − 15x + 4m2 = 0
has two solutions r1 , r2 which satisfy r1 = r22 .

(5) Prove that for all x > 0 we have

x2 + 5 20x4 √
+ ≥ 4 5.
x4 x2 + 5
(Hint: Use AGM. Think about what might be a reasonable choice for “a, b” in AGM.)