All about flooble | fun stuff | Get a free chatterbox | Free JavaScript | Avatars    
perplexus dot info

Home > Just Math
Cubic equation relation (Posted on 2023-10-04) Difficulty: 3 of 5
Let f(x)=x3+ax2+bx+c and g(x)=x3+bx2+cx+a, where

a,b,c are integers with c≠0. Suppose that the following conditions hold f(1)=0, the roots of g(x)=0 are the squares of the roots of f(x)=0. Then, find the value of

a2023+b2023+c2023.

No Solution Yet Submitted by Danish Ahmed Khan    
No Rating

Comments: ( Back to comment list | You must be logged in to post comments.)
Solution Analytic solution Comment 1 of 1
Let the roots of f(x) be r,s,t.
Use capital letters to denote the roots of g(x), and these are the squares of their respective lowercase variable name.  So R,S,T are the roots of g.  R=r^2, S=s^2, T=t^2

Use Vieta's Formulas to relate the coefficients to the roots.
for f(x)
r+s+t = -a
rs+rt+st = b
rst = -c

for g(x)
R+S+T = -b
RS+RT+ST = c
RST = -a     So a <= 0

c^2 = -a 
so a is the negative of a perfect square
and since c≠0, a≠0 so a < 0

We have r+s+t = -a and we can square both sides

(r+s+t)^2 = r^2+s^2+t^2 + 2(rs+rt+st) = a^2
(-b) + 2(b) = a^2
So b = a^2
a = -c^2
b = c^4
All coefficients in terms of c

f(1)=0 means that a + b + c = -1
so c^4 - c^2 + c + 1 = 0
which is factorable to
(c+1)(c^3 - c^2 + 1) = 0
The roots of the cubic in c are about c≈-0.75488 and 2 complex roots.
c = -1

So (a,b,c) = (-1, 1, -1)
and the requested sum a^2023+b^2023+c^2023 = -1.

f(x)=x^3 - x^2 + x - 1;
    = (x - 1) (x^2 + 1)  roots are {1, i, -i} 
g(x)=x^3 + x^2 - x - 1
    = (x - 1) (x + 1)^2  roots are {1, -1, -1}
Indeed the 3 roots of g are squares of the roots of f

  Posted by Larry on 2023-10-04 16:21:16
Please log in:
Login:
Password:
Remember me:
Sign up! | Forgot password


Search:
Search body:
Forums (2)
Newest Problems
Random Problem
FAQ | About This Site
Site Statistics
New Comments (4)
Unsolved Problems
Top Rated Problems
This month's top
Most Commented On

Chatterbox:
Copyright © 2002 - 2024 by Animus Pactum Consulting. All rights reserved. Privacy Information