I'm going to call your roots (r11, r12, r21, r22)
r21=r11−1r22=r12−1
p1=x2+cx+a=(x−r11)(x−r12)=x2−(r11+r12)x+r11r12p2=x2+(2−r11−r12)x+(1−r11−r12+r11r12)
the coefficient a appears in both polynomials so we can solve for the rootsr11r12=2−r11−r12Solving this we find that there are two possibilities(r11, r12)=(−2, −4) or(r11, r12)=(0, 2)
In the first case we then have(r21, r22)=(−3,−5)p1(x)=(x+2)(x+4)=x2+6x+8⇒a=8, c=6p2(x)=(x+3)(x+5)=x2+8x+15⇒b=15a+b+c=8+15+6=29
In the second case we have(r21, r22)=(−1,1)p1(x)=(x−0)(x−2)=x2−2x⇒a=0, c=−2p2(x)=(x+1)(x−1)=x2−1⇒b=−1a+b+c=0−1−2=−3
Someone please double check all of this.
I got to the same result, but by a different route.
To begin with, remember that if y = f(x), then replacing x by x + k shifts the graph of f(x) a distance k to the left.
So, since the roots of the second quadratic are each 1 less than the roots of the first quadratic, it follows that the second quadratic must be (x + 1)^2 + c(x + 1) + a.
Collecting up terms and equating coefficients, c + 2 = a and 1 + c + a = b.
A further requirement is that the roots are to be integers, so, from the first quadratic x^2 + cx + (c + 2) = 0,
x=−c±√c2−4(c+2)2.
The expression under the root sign will need to be the square of an integer, so, completing the square,
c2−4c−8=c2−4c+4−12=(c−2)2−12=m2, m an integer.
The only two squares differing by 12 are 4 and 16, so c = 6 or c = -2.
If c = 6, then a = 8, b = 15, so a + b + c = 29.
If c = -2, then a = 0, b = -1, so a + b + c = -3.
Tiggsy