IGCSE/GCSE/O & A Level/IB/University Student Forum

Qualification => Subject Doubts => GCE AS & A2 Level => Math => Topic started by: preity on October 05, 2009, 04:48:56 am

Title: A2 MATHS
Post by: preity on October 05, 2009, 04:48:56 am

hi..could someone help me with this question....
1)The polynomial x^4+4x^2+x+a is denoted by p(x).It is given that x^2+x+2 is a factor of p(x).Find the value of a and the other quadratic factor of p(x).
I need someone to show me the way using lonG division...thanks

Title: Re: A2 MATHS
Post by: Ghost Of Highbury on October 05, 2009, 05:12:28 am

are u sure if the q is correct....because x^2 + x + 2 has no real roots.

Title: Re: A2 MATHS
Post by: preity on October 05, 2009, 05:29:12 am

tat's wat the question says... :)

Title: Re: A2 MATHS
Post by: Ghost Of Highbury on October 05, 2009, 05:47:10 am

have u learnt to express a non-real root in the form of 'i' ??

Title: Re: A2 MATHS
Post by: preity on October 05, 2009, 05:49:27 am

ermm... the question is from algebra the 1st topic...

Title: Re: A2 MATHS
Post by: Ghost Of Highbury on October 05, 2009, 05:58:33 am

ya...it is from algebra...but when dey r asking abt th roots of the quadratic equation

u get --> 2.64575131 i ......that is exactly y i asked have u learnt 'i' ?????

Title: Re: A2 MATHS
Post by: nid404 on October 05, 2009, 08:15:31 am

You can find out roots using the discriminant too

Title: Re: A2 MATHS
Post by: loggerhead on October 05, 2009, 08:39:03 am

i wrote it up on a open office document because it was easier so I'm not sure if everything will line up on Microsoft Office

Title: Re: A2 MATHS
Post by: astarmathsandphysics on October 05, 2009, 08:54:06 am

I will do this question when i get to a pc in am hour.

Title: Re: A2 MATHS
Post by: astarmathsandphysics on October 05, 2009, 10:07:51 am

Here is the pdf version of the above

Title: Re: A2 MATHS
Post by: astarmathsandphysics on October 05, 2009, 10:11:44 am

and the ms office version

Title: Re: A2 MATHS
Post by: preity on October 06, 2009, 04:13:16 am

thanks astar...i've got another question it's from the may/june 03 paper...|x-2|less than 3-2x..my question is do i have to square both sides?

Title: Re: A2 MATHS
Post by: loggerhead on October 06, 2009, 05:07:53 am

no you don't but you can.

the way i like to do it is find the CV's by solving the equations:

x - 2 = 3 - 2x         and        x - 2 = - 3 + 2x


both this method and squaring give the same CV's but this way is faster as there is no quadratic.

Title: Re: A2 MATHS
Post by: astarmathsandphysics on October 06, 2009, 07:18:45 am

You are correct. I also prefer this way.