AlgebraDifficulty 6.2National OlympiadFind the answer
In the polynomial x4−18x3+kx2+200x−1984=0 , the product of 2 of its roots is −32 . Find k .
A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.
Solution
Using Vieta's formulas, we have: a+b+c+dab+ac+ad+bc+bd+cdabc+abd+acd+bcdabcd=18,=k,=−200,=−1984. From the last of these equations, we see that cd=ababcd=−32−1984=62 . Thus, the second equation becomes −32+ac+ad+bc+bd+62=k , and so ac+ad+bc+bd=k−30 . The key insight is now to factor the left-hand side as a product of two binomials: (a+b)(c+d)=k−30 , so that we now only need to determine a+b and c+d rather than all four of a,b,c,d . Let p=a+b and q=c+d . Plugging our known values for ab and cd into the third Vieta equation, −200=abc+abd+acd+bcd=ab(c+d)+cd(a+b) , we have −200=−32(c+d)+62(a+b)=62p−32q . Moreover, the first Vieta equation, a+b+c+d=18 , gives p+q=18 . Thus we have two linear equations in p and q , which we solve to obtain p=4 and q=14 . Therefore, we have (4a+b)(14c+d)=k−30 , yielding k=4⋅14+30=86 .
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