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JustAnotherNE

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Can some one please teach me how to solve this question?

If P(x) = 5X^4 - 11X^3 + 16X^2 - 11X + 5, solve P(x) = 0 over Complex field and factorise P(x) fully over Real field.
 

tommykins

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I've graphed that on Graphmatica, I don't think theres any real solutions for it. (hence why i couldn't factorise it over the real field).
 
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JustAnotherNE

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yea its mean to have im. roots but i dont know how to get them lol but thx any way
 

tommykins

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Neither, normally the equation has real and imaginary roots, so it's possible to find them but for this I'm pretty lost on.

I'm thinking of letting z = x + iy and subbing it in/expand/collect like terms (real/imaginary), but I can't be bothered doing it and I'm trying to figure out how it'll help me.
 

JustAnotherNE

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i fink i just got an idea, can u divide both side by X^2 and get somefin from there?
 

JustAnotherNE

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acually it gets really ugly if u do it that way....maybe theres a easier way
 

Mark576

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P(x) = 5x4 - 11x3 + 16x2 - 11x + 5 = 5x4 + 5 - 11x3 - 11x + 16x2 = 0
[Divide through by x2]
5x2 + 5/x2 - 11x - 11/x + 16 = 0
5(x2 + 1/x2) - 11(x + 1/x) + 16 = 0
5(x + 1/x)2 - 10 - 11(x + 1/x) + 16 = 0
5(x + 1/x)2 - 11(x + 1/x) + 6 = 0
Let z = x + 1/x;
5z2 - 11z + 6 = 0
(5z - 6)(z - 1) = 0
z = 6/5, 1
Solve the remaining quadratic equations in x to find four solutions.

EDIT: Notice this works because the coefficients of P(x) are symmetrical. So look out for this method.
 

tommykins

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Mark576 said:
P(x) = 5x4 - 11x3 + 16x2 - 11x + 5 = 5x4 + 5 - 11x3 - 11x + 16x2 = 0
[Divide through by x2]
5x2 + 5/x2 - 11x - 11/x + 16 = 0
5(x2 + 1/x2) - 11(x + 1/x) + 16 = 0
5(x + 1/x)2 - 10 - 11(x + 1/x) + 16 = 0
5(x + 1/x)2 - 11(x + 1/x) + 6 = 0
Let z = x + 1/x;
5z2 - 11z + 6 = 0
(5z - 6)(z - 1) = 0
z = 6/5, 1
Solve the remaining quadratic equations in x to find four solutions.

EDIT: Notice this works because the coefficients of P(x) are symmetrical. So look out for this method.
I thought of doing a dummy variable, but had no idea how to obtain it

awesome :)
 

paddy@2011

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P(x) = 5X^4 - 11X^3 + 16X^2 - 11X + 5 = 0

Divide both sides by x^2 and we get

5x^2 - 11x + 16 - 11/x + 5/x^2 = 0

5(x^2 + 1/x^2) -11(x+1/x) +16 =0

[Now if u = x + 1/x, then x^2 + 1/x^2 = u^2 - 2]

so the above equation becomes 5(u^2 - 2) -11u + 16 = 0

5u^2 - 11u + 6 = 0
(5u - 6) (u - 1) = 0

so u = 5/6 or 1

and now solve x + 1/x = 5/6 and then x + 1/x = 1
 

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