ALGEBRA- 3

SNAPSHOT

 Theory of Equations
 Properties of roots
 Descartes’ rule of signs
 Surds and Indices
THEORY OF EQUATIONS

GENERAL EQUATION OF Nth DEGREE

Let polynomial f(x) = a0xn + a1xn - 1 + a2xn - 2 + ... + an. where a0, a1, a2, ..an are rational
numbers and n > 0. Then the values of x for which f(x) reduces to zero are called root of the
equation f(x) = 0. The highest whole number power of x is called the degree of the equation.

For example
x4 - 3x3 + 4x2 + x + 1 = 0 is an equation with degree four.
x5 - 6x4 + 3x2 + 1 = 0 is an equation with degree five.
ax + b = 0 is called the linear equation.
ax2 + bx + c = 0 is called the quadratic equation.
ax3 + bx2 + cx + d = 0 is called the cubic equation.

Properties of equations and their roots

 Every equation of the nth degree has exactly n roots.
For example, the equation x3 + 4x2 + 1 = 0 has 3 roots,
The equation x5 - x + 2 = 0 has 5 roots, and so on.

 In an equation with real coefficients imaginary roots occur in pairs i.e. if a + ib is a

root of the equation f(x) = 0, then a - ib will also be a root of the same equation. For
example, if 2 + 3i is a root of equation f(x) = 0, 2 - 3i is also a root.

 If the coefficients of an equation are all positive then the equation has no positive root.
Hence, the equation 2x4 + 3x2 + 5x + 1 = 0 has no positive root.
 If the coefficients of even powers of x are all of one sign, and the coefficients of the
odd powers are all of opposite sign, then the equation has no negative root. Hence,
the equation 6x4 - 11x3 + 5x2 - 2x + 1 = 0 has no negative root
 If the equation contains only even powers of x and the coefficients are all of the same
sign, the equation has no real root. Hence, the equation 4x4 + 5x2 + 2 = 0 has no real
root.
 If the equation contains only odd powers of x, and the coefficients are all of the same
sign, the equation has no real root except x = 0. Hence, the equation 5x5 + 4x3 + x =
0 has only one real root at x = 0.
  Descartes' Rule of Signs : An equation f(x) = 0 cannot have more positive roots
than there are changes of sign in f(x), and cannot have more negative roots than there
changes of sign in f( - x). Thus the equation x4 + 7x3 - 4x2 - x - 7 = 0 has one positive
root because there is only change in sign. f( - x) = x4 - 7x3 - 4x2 + x - 7 = 0 hence
the number of negative real roots will be either 1 or 3.

EXAMPLES:
SURDS and INDICES

1. Laws of Indices:

i. am x an = am + n

ii.
iii. (am)n = amn
iv. (ab)n = anbn

v.
vi. a0 = 1
2. Surds:
Let a be rational number and n be a positive integer such that a(1/n) =
Then, a is called a surd of order n.
3. Laws of Surds:
 ASSIGNMENT

1. If (x + 1)(x – 2)(x + 3)(x – 4)(x + 5)…(x – 100) = a0 + a1x + a2x2… + a100x100then the
value of a99 is equal to:

1 1 1
2. If p, q and r are the roots of the equation z3 – 3z2 + z + 1 = 0 find the value of  
p q r
.

3. If p, q and r are the roots of the equation 2z 3 + 4z2 -3z -1 =0, find the value of (1  p) 
(1 - q)  (1 - r).

4. If x6 + 4x5 + 6x4 + 6x3 + 4x2 + 2x + 1 = (x2 + ax + 1)(x4 + bx3 + cx2 + dx + 1) find the
value of a.

5. If a, b, and c are the solutions of the equation x3 – 3x2 – 4x + 5 = 0, find the value of
1 1 1
  .
ab bc ca

6. If , , and  are the roots of the equation x3 – 4x2 + 3x + 5 = 0, find the value of the
product: ( + 1)( + 1)( + 1).

2 1

7. If x  2  2  2 , then the value of x3  6 x 2  6 x is……

3 3

8. How many integer solutions (x, y) are there for the equation (x -5)(x – 23) = 3y?

1 n
9. If the constant term of (2x  ) is –160, then n equals
x

10. Solve the equation: x  2 x  4 x  6 x  21  0 if two of its roots are equal in magnitude
4 3 2

but opposite in sign.

11. If the sum of two roots of the equation 4 x  8 x  13x  2 x  3  0 is zero, find all its
4 3 2

roots.

12.The number of roots common between the two equations x3  3x 2  4 x  5  0 and

x3  2 x 2  7 x  3  0
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3

13.If the equation x3 = A (x – 1)(x – 2)(x – 3) + B (x – 1)(x –2) + C (x- 1) + D is true for
all values of x, the sum A + B + C + D is equal to:
A. 13
B. 15
C. 19
D. 23
 1 1 1
14.Let a, b and c are the roots of the equation x3 – 3x2 – 11x + 10 =0. Calculate   .
a b c
A. 3/10
B. 11/10
C. -11/10
D. 3/11

15.Let A = (x – 1)4 + 3(x – 1)3 + 6(x – 1)2 + 5(x – 1) + 1. Then the value of A is:
A. (x – 2)4
B. x4
C. (x + 1)4
D. None of these

16.Find the remainder when 3x5 + 2x4 – 3x3 – x2 + 2x + 2 is divided by x2 – 1.

A. 3
B. 2x - 2
C. 2x + 3
D. 2x – 1

𝑎 𝑥−1 𝑏 𝑥−3
17. If ( ) = (𝑎 ) , then the value of x is:
𝑏
1
A.
2
B. 1
C. 2
D. not possible

18.If 5a = 13125, then the value of 5(a – 3) is:

A. 625
B. 125
C. 105
D. 95

19.If 2(x – y) = 8 and 2(x + y) = 32, then x is equal to:

A. 0
B. 2
C. 4
D. 6

20.

A. 0
B. 1
C. xa – b – c
D. None of these

21.If m and n are whole numbers such that mn = 121, the value of (m – 1)n + 1 is:
A. 1
B. 10
C. 121
D. 1000
 22.

A. xabc
B. 1
C. xab+bc+ca
D. xa+b+c

1
23.If 𝑥 = 5 + 2√6, then find the value of √𝑥 − .
√𝑥
A. 2√2
B. √2
C. 1
D. 0

24.Find x + y if 2x + 3y = 41 and 2x+2 + 3y+2 = 209.

√5−√3
25. If x = then find the value of 8x – x2.
√5+√3
A. 0
B. 1
C. √3
D. √5

𝑎3 + 2𝑎2 𝑏+𝑏3 𝑎
26.Find the value of when = √2 − 1.
𝑎𝑏(𝑎+3𝑏) 𝑏
A. 0
B. 1
C. √2
D. 3

1 1
27. 3 + √3 + + =
3+√3 3−√3
A. 4 + √3
B. 4√3
C. 3√3
D. 3

1
28. Given that = √𝑎 − √𝑏. Find 𝑎 − 𝑏.
√11+2√30
A. 1
B. 2
C. 5
D. 6
 88 ×1515×1818
29.Given that = 16a×27b×25c. Find a + b + c.
4 4×55 ×66

√2+1 √2−1
30.If x = and y = then find the value of x2 + y2.
√2−1 √2+1
31.What are the values of x and y that satisfy both the equations?

20.7x. 3-1.25y = 8√6/27

40.3x. 90.2y = 8(81)1/5
(1) x = 2, y = 5
(2) x = 2.5, y = 6
(3) x = 3, y = 5
(4) x = 3, y = 4
(5) x = 5, y = 2

32.Which among 21/2, 31/3, 41/4, 61/6 and 121/12 is the largest?
(1) 21/2
(2) 31/3
(3) 41/4
(4) 61/6
(5) 121/12

33.The smallest integer n for which 4n> 1719 holds, is closest to

1. 33
2. 37
3. 39
4. 35

34. 245-244-243= ?
1. 245
2. 244
3. 243
4. 242

35.Given that x2018y2017 = 1/2 and x2016y2019 = 8, the value of x2 + y3 is

1. 35/4
2. 37/4
3. 31/4
4. 33/4
 ASSIGNMENT ANSWERKEY

1 -50 2 -1 3 1 4 1 5 -3/5 6 3 7 2
8 2 9 6 10 ±√3, 11 3,-1, 12 13 B 14 B
A
1±√6 ±1/2

15 D 16 C 17 C 18 C 19 C 20 B 21 D
22 B 23 A 24 7 25 B 26 B 27 A 28 A
29 27 30 34 31 5 32 2 33 3 34 3 35 4