complex numbers question (1 Viewer)

poptarts12345

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How do I do this question?
Find all the zeroes of the polynomial P(x) = x^4+4x^3+11x^2+14x+10 given that all the roots are in the form a ± bi and a ± 2bi.

ANS : -1 ± i, -1 ± 2i
 

Akshat.g2

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You can use the relationships of roots and coefficients to find the values of 'a' and 'b'.

The Sum Of Roots:

(a + bi) + (a - bi) + (a + 2bi) + (a - 2bi) = -4
a + bi + a - bi + a + 2bi + a - 2bi = -4
4a = -4
a = -1

The Product Of Roots:

(a + bi) (a - bi) (a + 2bi) (a - 2bi) = 10
(a^2 + b^2) (a^2 + 4b^2) = 10
a^4 + 4a^2b^2 + a^2b^2 + 4b^4 = 10
a^4 + 5a^2b^2 + 4b^4 = 10
sub a = -1
1 + 5b^2 + 4b^4 = 10
4b^4 + 5b^2 - 9 = 0
solve using quadratic formula
b^2 = 1
b = +-1

Hence the roots are: -1 ± i, -1 ± 2i
 

Qeru

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How do I do this question?
Find all the zeroes of the polynomial P(x) = x^4+4x^3+11x^2+14x+10 given that all the roots are in the form a ± bi and a ± 2bi.

ANS : -1 ± i, -1 ± 2i
Same idea as akshat but another way is: Let (5 and 2 since constant terms multiply to 10). Now compare coefficients of x^3 and x to get and solving these simultaneous equations: So


. The solutions are clear from here.
 

CM_Tutor

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Same idea as akshat but another way is: Let (5 and 2 since constant terms multiply to 10). Now compare coefficients of x^3 and x to get and solving these simultaneous equations: So


. The solutions are clear from here.
How do you know that your constant terms have to be 2 and 5? I agree they must multiply to give 10, but a complete solution would need to explain the exclusion of 1 and 10. And, what about -2 and -5 and the like? There is a good reason why these can be excluded, but would you know it or include it?

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A similar approach is to recognise that, since the roots come in conjugate pairs (which we also know as the coefficients of the quartic are real), then there must be quadratic factors of the form:



Using the given roots

and

gives that our quartic factorises as

and thus, by equating coefficients for gives

and by equating coefficients for , we get:

which, on using , becomes:

From this:
  • the factorisation over is:
  • the solutions of are: and
  • the factorisation over is:
Note that Qeru's completing-the-square method for finding the roots from the factorisation over is useful to remember as an approach in complex numbers:

 

Qeru

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Another way is to note that: So . From here we will try getting a quadratic in and so . Then use quadratic factoring techniques to obtain: .
 

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