• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Roots (1 Viewer)

nrlwinner

Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2009
Messages
194
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
I have a question and I'm not sure how to solve it.

Show that the roots of the equation

4(m+1)x^2 -4(m-1)x -3 = 0 (m does not equal -1)

are real for all m.



P.S. Can you take the discriminate of a discriminate?
 

hermand

je t'aime.
Joined
Aug 28, 2008
Messages
1,432
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
Wouldnt it be possible to not complete the square and just state the conclusion??
i think so yeah, because even if m is negative, m^2 is greater than m when m is greater than one, less than negative one, and when it's between 1 & -1, the addition of four will cancel any negative out anyway.
 

Timothy.Siu

Prophet 9
Joined
Aug 6, 2008
Messages
3,449
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
i think so yeah, because even if m is negative, m^2 is greater than m when m is greater than one, less than negative one, and when it's between 1 & -1, the addition of four will cancel any negative out anyway.
but u have to show that.
how can u be so sure
 

lolokay

Active Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
1,015
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2009
if m<-1, then m^2 > -m -> m^2 + m > 0 so m^2 + m + 4 > 0
if -1 < m < 0, then 0 < m^2 < 1
so m^2 + m + 4 > 3
and if m > 0, m^2 > 0
m^2 + m > 0,
as m^2 + m + 4 is greater than zero for each case it is always postive

works well for seeing it intuitively, but as for actually proving you're best to either complete the square or take the disciminant
 

lolokay

Active Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
1,015
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2009
if b^2 - 4ac < 0, (and a > 0) the quadratic is always positive
for m^2 + m + 4, the discriminant is 1 - 16 = -15 < 0
so always positive
 
Last edited:

study-freak

Bored of
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Messages
1,133
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
shouldn't you say that coefficient of x^2>0 to get the mark if you use the discriminant method?
 

Lukybear

Active Member
Joined
May 6, 2008
Messages
1,466
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Ah, I see. Thats very simple concepts applied. Very very good. Hopefully one day ill reach you levels of thinking.
 

omniscience

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2008
Messages
279
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
roots? niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
 

Lukybear

Active Member
Joined
May 6, 2008
Messages
1,466
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
If thread dosent mind me asking, where was this question from? Which text book?
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top