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Functions and Equations - Solutions

This document contains solutions to 16 math problems. The solutions involve factoring polynomials, finding roots, using the quadratic formula, and other algebraic techniques. Key steps are shown, such as using identities for sums and products of roots. Diagrams are provided for some geometry problems. Overall, the solutions demonstrate various methods for solving different types of mathematical equations and problems.

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209 views

Functions and Equations - Solutions

This document contains solutions to 16 math problems. The solutions involve factoring polynomials, finding roots, using the quadratic formula, and other algebraic techniques. Key steps are shown, such as using identities for sums and products of roots. Diagrams are provided for some geometry problems. Overall, the solutions demonstrate various methods for solving different types of mathematical equations and problems.

Uploaded by

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Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Centre for Education

in Mathematics and Computing


Euclid eWorkshop # 2
Solutions
c 2014 UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
Euclid eWorkshop #2 SOLUTIONS
SOLUTIONS
1. Subtract one equation from the other and factor the resulting expression.
xy + y 8 8x = 0
x(y 8) + y 8 = 0
(x + 1)(y 8) = 0
There are solutions when x = 1 and when y = 8. If x = 1 then y = 9. If y = 8 then x = 4 2

2. The
solutions are (1, 9) and (4 2

2, 8).
2. We are asked for the x value of the midpoint of zeros, which is the x value of the vertex. The equation is written
in vertex form already, having an x value of 1.
Alternately Soluion: Find the intercepts:
(x 1)
2
4 = 0
(x 1)
2
= 4
x = 1 2
Thus x = 3 or 1. Thus a =
1 + 3
2
= 1.
3. (a) Consider a = 0 and a = 1, and nd the intersection point of the resulting equations, y = x
2
and
y = x
2
+ 2x + 1. Then 0 = 2x + 1 and the intersection point is (
1
2
,
1
4
). Now substitute this point into
the general equation to show that this point is on all the parabolas, since
y = x
2
+ 2ax + a
=
1
4
+ 2a
1
2
+ a
=
1
4
(b) Now y = x
2
+2ax+a = (x+a)
2
+aa
2
so the vertex is at (a, aa
2
). If we represent the coordinates
of the vertex by (p,q) we have p = a and q = a a
2
or q = p
2
p, the required parabola.
4. (a) .
20
0
-20
-40
-60
x
6 4 2 0 -2
CENTRE FOR EDUCATIONS IN MATHEMATICS COMPUTING 2
Euclid eWorkshop #2 SOLUTIONS
(b) From the graph x 0.
5. Factoring both equations we arrive at:
p(1 + r + r
2
) = 26 (1)
p
2
r(1 + r + r
2
) = 156 (2)
Dividing (2) by (1) gives pr = 6. Substituting this relation back into (1) we get
6
r
+ 6 + 6r = 26
6 20r + 6r
2
= 0
3r
2
10r + 3 = 0
(3r 1)(r 3) = 0
Hence (r, p) = (3, 2) or (
1
3
, 18).
6. We assume, on the contrary, that the coefcients are in geometric sequence. Then
b
a
=
c
b
or b
2
= ac. But
now the discriminant b
2
4ac = 3b
2
< 0 so that the roots are not real. Thus we have a contradiction of the
condition set out in the statement of the problem and our assumption is false.
7. Let r and s be the integer roots. The equation can be written as
a(x r)(x s) = a(x
2
(r + s)x + rs)
= ax
2
a(r + s)x + ars
= ax
2
+ bx + c
with b = a(r + s) and c = ars. Since a, b, c are in arithmetic sequence, we have
c b = b a
a + c 2b = 0
a + ars + 2a(r + s) = 0
1 + rs + 2(r + s) = 0 we can divide by a since a = 0
(r + 2)(s + 2) = 3
Since there are only 2 integer factorings of 3 we have {r, s} = {1, 1} or {3, 5}.
8. Solution 1
Multiplying out and collecting terms results in x
4
6x
3
+ 8x
2
+ 2x 1 = 0. We look for a factoring with
integer coefcients, using the fact that the rst and last coefcients are 1. So
x
4
6x
3
+ 8x
2
+ 2x 1 = (x
2
+ ax + 1)(x
2
+ bx 1)
where a and b are undetermined coefcients. However multiplication now gives a + b = 6 and a + b = 2
and ab = 8. Since all 3 equations are satised by a = 4 and b = 2, we have factored the original expression
as
x
4
6x
3
+ 8x
2
+ 2x 1 = (x
2
4x + 1)(x
2
2x 1)
Factoring these two quadratics gives roots of x = 2

3 and x = 1

2.
CENTRE FOR EDUCATIONS IN MATHEMATICS COMPUTING 3
Euclid eWorkshop #2 SOLUTIONS
Solution 2
We observe that the original equation is of the form f(f(x)) = x where f(x) = x
2
3x + 1. Now if we can
nd x such that f(x) = x then f(f(x)) = x. So we solve f(x) = x
2
3x + 1 = x which gives the rst factor
x
2
4x + 1 above. With polynomial division, we can then determine that
x
4
6x
3
+ 8x
2
+ 2x 1 = (x
2
4x + 1)(x
2
2x 1)
and continue as in Solution 1.
9. The vertex has x = 2 and y = 16 so A = (2, 16). When y = 0 we get intercepts at 2 and 6. The larger
value is 6, so B = (6, 0). Therefore we want the line through (2, 16) and (6, 0) which is 4x y 24 = 0.
10. Solution 1
Multiplying gives
x
2
(b + c)x + bc = a
2
(b + c)a + bc
0 = x
2
(b + c)x + a(b + c a)
x =
b + c

(b + c)
2
4a(b + c a)
2
=
b + c

(b + c 2a)
2
2
= a OR b + c a
Solution 2 Observe that x = a is one solution. Rearrange as above to get x
2
(b + c)x + a(b + c a) = 0.
Using the sum/product of roots, the other solution is x = b + c a.
11. Since x = 2 is a solution of x
3
7x 6, thus x + 2 is a factor. Factor as
x
3
7x 6 = (x + 2)(x
2
2x 3)
= (x + 2)(x + 1)(x 3)
so the roots are 2, 1 and 3.
12. Let the roots be r and s. By the sum and product rule,
r + s =
4(a 2)
4
= 2 a
rs =
8a
2
+ 14a + 31
4
= 2a
2
+
7
2
a +
31
4
Then
r
2
+ s
2
= (r + s)
2
2rs
= (2 a)
2
2(2a
2
+
7
2
a +
31
4
)
= 4 4a + a
2
+ 4a
2
7a
31
2
= 5a
2
11a
23
2
.
CENTRE FOR EDUCATIONS IN MATHEMATICS COMPUTING 4
Euclid eWorkshop #2 SOLUTIONS
It appears that the minimum value should be at the vertex of the parabola f(a) = 5a
2
11a
23
2
, that is
at a =
11
10
(found by completing the square). But we have ignored the condition that the roots are real. The
discriminant of the original equation is
B
2
4AC = [4(a 2)]
2
4(4)(8a
2
+ 14a + 31)
= 16(a
2
4a + 4) + 128a
2
224a 496
= 144a
2
288a 432
= 144(a
2
2a 3)
= 144(a 3)(a + 1).
Thus we have real roots only when a 3 or a 1. Therefore a =
11
10
cannot be our nal answer, since the
roots are not real for this value. However f(a) = 5a
2
11a
23
2
is a parabola opening up and is symmetrical
about its axis of symmetry a =
11
10
. So we move to the nearest value of a to the axis of symmetry that gives real
roots, which is a = 3.
13. Let g(2) = k. Since f and g are inverse functions, thus f(k) = 2. We need to solve
3k 7
k + 1
= 2
3k 7 = 2(k + 1)
k = 9
Thus g(2) = 9.
14. Write
y = 2x
2
4ax + k
= 2(x
2
+ 2ax +
k
2
)
= 2(x + a)
2
+ k + 2a
2
The vertex is at (a,k + 2a
2
) or (2, 7) and we can solve for a = 2 and k = 1.
15. Using sum and product of roots we have the 4 equations:
a + b = c ab = d
c + d = a cd = b.
Therefore (c + d) + cd = c
cd d = 0
d(c 1) = 0
But none of a, b, c or d are zero, so c = 1. Then we get d = b, a = 1 andd = b = 2. Thus a+b +c +d = 2.
CENTRE FOR EDUCATIONS IN MATHEMATICS COMPUTING 5
Euclid eWorkshop #2 SOLUTIONS
16. The most common way to do this problem uses calculus. However we make the substitution z = x 4. To get
y in terms of z, try
y = x
2
2x 3
= (x 4)
2
+ 6x 19
= (x 4)
2
+ 6(x 4) + 5
= z
2
+ 6z + 5
The value we want to minimize is then
y 4
(x 4)
2
=
z
2
+ 6z + 1
z
2
= 1 +
6
z
+
1
z
2
. If we now let u =
1
z
, we have
the up-opening parabola 1 + 6u + u
2
which has its minimum at u = 3 with minimum value of 8. Note that
since x can assume any real value except 4, z and u will assume all real values except zero. Thus the minimum
value of this expression is 8.
CENTRE FOR EDUCATIONS IN MATHEMATICS COMPUTING 6

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