FP1.

C1: Roots of Polynomial Equations

Supplementary Exercises

1. One root of the equation ax 2 + bx + c = 0 is three times the other. Prove that 3b2 = 16ac.
2. The roots of the equation ax 2 + bx + c = 0 differ by 1. Prove that b2 − a2 − 4ac = 0.
3. The equation x 2 + 6x + 10 has roots α and β.
(i) Find the values of α2 + β2 and α3 + β3 .
(ii) Find a quadratic equation with integer coefficients whose roots are α3 β and αβ3 .
4. The equation of x 2 + 3x + 1 = 0 has roots α and β.
α β
(i) Find the values of α2 + β2 and + .
β α
α + 2β β + 2α
(ii) Find and equation with integer coefficients whose roots are and .
β α
5. Let the roots of the equation x 3 − 6x + 2 = 0 be α, β and γ. Find the values of each of the following:

(a) 4α + 4β + 4γ (c) (α − β)2 + (β − γ)2 + (γ − α)2

1 1 1
(b) α2 + β2 + γ 2 (d) + +
α β γ

6. The equation x 4 − 2x 3 + 2x 2 + 3x + 4 = 0 has roots α, β, γ and δ. Find the equations which have the following
roots.

(a) 2α, 2β, 2γ, 2δ (c) 2 + α, 2 + β, 2 + γ, 2 + δ

1 1 1 1
(b) α2 , β2 , γ 2 , δ2 (d) , , ,
α β γ δ

7. Find the sum of the squares of the equation 3x 3 − 2x 2 + x − 1 = 0. Hence show that the equation has one real
and two complex roots.
8. Find the equation whose roots are the fourth powers of the roots of the equation x 3 + x + 1 = 0. Hence find the
sum of the fourth powers of the roots of the equation x 3 + x + 1 = 0.
9. The roots of the equation x 3 − ax 2 + bx − c = 0 are α, β and γ. Prove that if αβ = α + β, then γ = a + c − b.
10. The roots of the equation x 3 − 3bx 2 + 3cx − d = 0 are in arithmetic progression. Prove that one of the roots is
b, and find a condition on b, c and d for the roots to be in arithmetic progression. Find the possible values of
the common difference in terms of b and d.
11. Find a condition for the roots of the equation x 3 − bx 2 + cx − d = 0 to be in geometric progression. Find, in
terms of b and d, a quadratic equation satisfied by the possible common ratios of the progression.
12. The product of two of the roots of the equation ax 4 + bx 3 + cx 2 + dx + e = 0 is equal to the product of the
other two roots. Prove that ad 2 = b2 e.
13. The cubic equation ax 3 + bx 2 + cx + d = 0 has the property that two of its roots are the reciprocals of each
other. Prove that a2 − d 2 = ac − bd.

Verify that this condition holds for the equation 9x 3 + 24x 2 − 11x − 6 = 0, and solve it.
β γ γ α
14. The roots of the equation x 3 + ax + b = 0 are α, β and γ. Find the equation with roots + , + and
γ β α γ
α β
+ .
β α

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Past Year Questions

1. The equation x 3 + px + q = 0, where p and q are constants, with q , 0, has one root which is the reciprocal of
another root. Prove that p + q2 = 1. [5]

[9231 s14 qp11/12 q1]

2. The quartic equation x 4 − px 2 + qx − r = 0, where p, q and r are real constants, has two pairs of equal roots.
Show that p2 + 4r = 0 and state the value of q. [6]

[9231 s15 qp13 q1]

3. Find a cubic equation with roots α, β and γ, given that

α + β + γ = −6 , α2 + β2 + γ 2 = 38 , αβγ = 30 . [3]

Hence find the numerical values of the roots. [3]

[9231 s11 qp13 q3]

4. Given that
α + β + γ = 0 , α2 + β2 + γ 2 = 14 , α3 + β3 + γ 3 = −18 ,
find a cubic equation whose roots are α, β, γ. [4]

Hence find possible values for α, β, γ. [2]

[9231 w04 qp1 q3]

5. The equation
x 4 + x 3 + Ax 2 + 4x − 2 = 0 ,
where A is a constant, has roots α, β, γ, δ. Find a polynomial equation whose roots are
1 1 1 1
, , , . [2]
α β γ δ

Given that
1 1 1 1
α2 + β2 + γ 2 + δ 2 = + 2+ 2+ 2 ,
α 2 β γ δ
find the value of A. [3]

[9231 w02 qp1 q2]

6. The cubic equation x 3 − 2x 2 − 3x + 4 = 0 has roots α, β, γ. Given that c = α + β + γ, state the value of c.
[1]

Use the substitution y = c − x to find a cubic equation whose roots are α + β, β + γ, γ + α. [3]
1 1 1
Find a cubic equation whose roots are , , . [2]
α+β β+γ γ+α
1 1 1
Hence evaluate + + . [2]
(α + β) 2 (β + γ) 2 (γ + α)2

[9231 s13 qp11/12 q3]

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 7. The equation
x 3 + 3x − 1 = 0
has roots α, β, γ. Use the substitution y = x 3 to show that the equation whose roots are α3 , β3 , γ 3 is

y 3 − 3y 2 + 30y − 1 = 0 . [2]

Find the value of α9 + β9 + γ 9 . [5]

[9231 s07 qp1 q7]

8. The equation
8x 3 + 12x 2 + 4x − 1 = 0
has roots α, β, γ. Show that the equation with roots 2α + 1, 2β + 1, 2γ + 1 is

y 3 − y − 1 = 0. [3]

The sum (2α + 1)n + (2β + 1)n + (2γ + 1)n is denoted by Sn . Find the values of S3 and S−2 . [5]

[9231 s03 qp1 q5]

9. The roots of the equation

x3 + x + 1 = 0
are α, β, γ. Show that the equation whose roots are

4α + 1 4β + 1 4γ + 1
     
, ,
α+1 β+1 γ+1
is of the form
y 3 + py + q = 0 ,
where the numbers p and q are to be determined. [5]

Hence find the value of n n n

4α + 1 4β + 1 4γ + 1
  
+ + ,
α+1 β+1 γ+1
for n = 2 and for n = 3. [4]

[9231 w06 qp1 q6]

10. The roots of the equation

x3 − x − 1 = 0
are α, β, γ, and
Sn = α n + β n + γ n .

(i) Use the relation y = x 2 to show that α2 , β2 , γ 2 are the roots of the equation

y 3 − 2y 2 + y − 1 = 0. [3]

(ii) Hence, or otherwise, find the value of S4 . [2]

(iii) Find the values of S8 , S12 and S16 . [9]

[9231 s04 qp1 q11]

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11. The cubic equation x 3 − px − q = 0, where p and q are constants, has roots α, β, γ. Show that

(i) α2 + β2 + γ 2 = 2p , [1]

(ii) α3 + β3 + γ 3 = 3q , [2]

(iii) 6(α5 + β5 + γ 5 ) = 5(α3 + β3 + γ 3 )(α2 + β2 + γ 2 ) . [3]

[9231 w13 qp11/12 q2]

12. Show that the sum of the cubes of the roots of the equation

x 3 + λx + 1 = 0

is −3. [3]

Show also that there is no real value of λ for which the sum of the fourth powers of the roots is negative. [3]

[9231 s05 qp1 q4]

13. In the equation

x 3 + ax 2 + bx + c = 0 ,
the coefficients a, b and c are real. It is given that all the roots are real and greater than 1.

(i) Prove that a < −3. [1]

(ii) By considering the sum of the squares of the roots, prove that a2 > 2b + 3. [2]

(iii) By considering the sum of the cubes of the roots, prove that a3 < −9b − 3c − 3. [4]

[9231 w05 qp1 q5]

14. The roots of the equation

x 3 − 8x 2 + 5 = 0
are α, β, γ. Show that
5
α2 = . [4]
β+γ
It is given that the roots are all real. Without reference to a graph, show that one of the roots is negative and
the other two roots are positive. [3]

[9231 w07 qp1 q4]

15. Find the sum of the squares of the roots of the equation

x 3 + x + 12 = 0 ,

and deduce that only one of the roots is real. [4]

The real root of the equation is denoted by√α. Prove that −3 < α < −2, and hence prove that the modulus of
each of the other roots lies between 2 and 6. [5]

[9231 w03 qp1 q6]

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16. Obtain the sum of the squares of the roots of the equation

x 4 + 3x 3 + 5x 2 + 12x + 4 = 0 . [2]

Deduce that this equation does not have more than 2 real roots. [3]

Show that, in fact, the equation has exactly 2 real roots in the interval −3 < x < 0. [5]
2
Denoting these roots by α and β, and the other 2 roots by γ and δ, show that |γ| = |δ| = √ . [4]
αβ
[9231 s06 qp1 q11]

17. The roots of the equation

x 4 − 5x 2 + 2x − 1 = 0
are α, β, γ, δ. Let Sn = α n + β n + γ n + δ n .

(i) Show that

Sn+4 − 5Sn+2 + 2Sn+1 − Sn = 0 . [2]

(ii) Find the values of S2 and S4 . [3]

(iii) Find the value of S3 and hence find the value of S6 . [6]

(iv) Hence find the value of

α2 (β4 + γ 4 + δ4 ) + β2 (γ 4 + δ4 + α4 ) + γ 2 (δ4 + α4 + β4 ) + δ2 (α4 + β4 + γ 4 ) . [3]

[9231 w08 qp1 q12]

18. The roots of the equation x 4 − 3x 2 + 5x − 2 = 0 are α, β, γ, δ; the sum α n + β n + γ n + δ n is denoted by Sn .

Show that
Sn+4 − 3Sn+2 + 5Sn+1 − 2Sn = 0 . [2]

Find the values of

(i) S2 and S4 , [3]

(ii) S3 and S5 . [6]

Hence find the value of

α2 (β3 + γ 3 + δ3 ) + β2 (γ 3 + δ3 + α3 ) + γ 2 (δ3 + α3 + β3 ) + δ2 (α3 + β3 + γ 3 ). [3]

[9231 w12 qp11/12 q11]

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Answers (Supplementary Exercises)

3. (a) 16, -36 (b) x 2 − 160x + 10000 = 0

4. (a) 7, 7 (b) u2 − 11u + 19 = 0

5. (a) 0 (b) 12 (c) 36 (d) 3

6. (a) u4 − 4u3 + 8u2 + 24u + 64 = 0 (c) u4 − 10u3 + 38u2 − 61u + 38 = 0

(b) u4 + 24u2 + 7u + 16 = 0 (d) 4u4 + 3u3 + 2u2 − 2u + 1 = 0

7. − 92

8. u3 − 2u2 + 5u − 1 = 0, 2
r
b3 − d
10. 2b3 − 3bc + d = 0, ±
b
1 1 1
11. b3 d = c3 , d 3 r 2 + (d 3 − b)r + d 3 = 0
2
13. 3, − 13 , −3

14. b2 (1 + u)3 + a3 (u + 2) = 0

Answers (Past Year Questions)

2. q = 0.

3. x 3 + 6x 2 − x − 30 = 0 ; 2, −3, −5

4. x 3 − 7x + 6 = 0 ; possible values of α , β and γ are 1, 2, −3.

5. A = −1

6. c = 2 ; y 3 − 4y 2 + y + 2 = 0 ; 2z 3 + z 2 − 4z + 1 = 0 ; 17
4

7. −240

8. S3 = 3 , S−2 = 1

9. p = −21, q = 47 ; 42, −141

10. (ii) S4 = 2 ; (iii) S8 = 10, S12 = 29, S16 = 90.

15. −2

16. −1

17. (ii) 10, 54 ; (iii) −6, 292 ; (iv) 248.

18. (i) S2 = 6, S4 = 26 ; (ii) S3 = −15, S5 = −75 ; −15.