I differentiate both sides and apply P'(x)=P''(x)=0 ?This is a fourth degree polynomial, so it has four roots. Three of those are identical, so there is only one other unique root.
Firstly, express the polynomial as a product of its factors.
(note that the polynomial is monic, so we may write instead of )
Because these two expressions are identically equal, you may differentiate both sides.
You mean the multiple root theorem?I'm pretty sure we can't find differentiate it 2 times since that's a 4U theorem, especially since this is a 3U question, markers may not acknowledge it. It may be faster but I wouldn't risk it. I'll try work out something that doesn't involve that
I made an error on this line.Uhhh... guys, can you check this out?
http://m.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=expand+(x+1/2)^3(x-13/2)
http://m.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=expand+(x-3)^3(x+4)
There are 2 solutions both with triple roots
Yeah man, I thought there was only one solution because the question subtly implied it, I got two solutions then looked at everyone else’s and was like, yeah, I’m probably being dumb so I also took one solution, I happened to be rethinking about the question after school so I brought it up again. lol sorryI made an error on this line.
Swapping around the factors on the RHS actually yields another solution:
Since the question didn't say that the coefficients had to be integers, this is also a valid solution. Very interesting... I didn't consider the possibility that two sets of solutions existed.