Edexcel AS Further Maths Roots of polynomials
Section 1: Roots and coefficients
Solutions to Exercise level 1
1. (i) 2 x 2 9x 5 0
b 9
Sum of roots
a 2
c 5 5
Product of roots
a 2 2
(ii) 5 x 2 x 2 0
b 1 1
Sum of roots
a 5 5
c 2
Product of roots
a 5
(iii) 3 x x 2 4 x 5
3x 2 6x 4x 5
3x 2 2 x 5 0
b 2
Sum of roots
a 3
c 5
Product of roots
a 3
2. (i) x 3 3x 2 2 x 4 0
b 3
3
a 1
c 2
2
a 1
d 4
4
a 1
(ii) 2 x 3 5 x 3 0
b 0
0
a 2
c 5
a 2
d 3 3
a 2 2
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Edexcel AS FM Roots of polynomials 1 Exercise solns
(iii) 3 x 3 x 2 4 x 1 0
b 1
a 3
c 4 4
a 3 3
d 1 1
a 3 3
3. 3 x 2 11 x 4 0
11
3
4
3
(i) For new equation,
sum of roots 2 2 ( ) 4
113 4 233
and product of roots ( 2)( 2) 2( ) 4
43
4 10
22
3
b 23 c
So for new equation, and 10
a 3 a
Taking a 3 gives b 23 and c 30
The new equation is 3 x 2 23 x 30 0
(ii) For new equation,
sum of roots 3 3 3( )
3 113 11
and product of roots 3 3 9
9 43 12
b c
So for new equation, 11 and 12
a a
Taking a 1 gives b 11 and c 12
The new equation is x 2 11 x 12 0
4. p q 5 , p 2 q 2 19
( p q )2 p 2 q 2 2 pq
5 2 19 2 pq
6 2 pq
pq 3
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Edexcel AS FM Roots of polynomials 1 Exercise solns
b b
Sum of roots 5 b 5 a
a a
c c
Product of roots 3 c 3a
a a
Putting a = 1 gives b = -5 and c = 3
A quadratic equation with roots p and q is x 2 5 x 3 0
5. x 2 x 6 0
1
6
1 1
1
1
6
1 61
56
6. Sum of roots = -5
1 4 5
8
The third root is -8.
a
1 4 4 8 8 1 a
4 32 8 a
a 28
b
1 4 8 b
b 32
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