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Given quadratic equation x^2+cx+a=0 has two integer roots x_1, x_2; Quadratic Equation x_2+ax+b=0 has two integer roots x_1', x_2'. If x_1-x_1'=x_2-x_2'=1, please determine the value of a+b+c.

 Sep 28, 2018
edited by yasbib555  Oct 5, 2018
 #1
avatar+6252 
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I'm going to call your roots (r11, r12, r21, r22)

 

r21=r111r22=r121

 

p1=x2+cx+a=(xr11)(xr12)=x2(r11+r12)x+r11r12p2=x2+(2r11r12)x+(1r11r12+r11r12)

 

the coefficient a appears in both polynomials so we can solve for the rootsr11r12=2r11r12Solving 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+8a=8, c=6p2(x)=(x+3)(x+5)=x2+8x+15b=15a+b+c=8+15+6=29

 

In the second case we have(r21, r22)=(1,1)p1(x)=(x0)(x2)=x22xa=0, c=2p2(x)=(x+1)(x1)=x21b=1a+b+c=012=3

 

Someone please double check all of this.

 Sep 28, 2018
edited by Rom  Sep 28, 2018
 #2
avatar
+2

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±c24(c+2)2.

The expression under the root sign will need to be the square of an integer,  so, completing the square,

c24c8=c24c+412=(c2)212=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

 Sep 28, 2018

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