It is known that the equation bx^2-(a-3b)x+b=0 has one real root. Prove that the equation x^2+(a-b)x+(ab-b^2+1)=0 has no real roots.?

2 Answers
Oct 17, 2017

See below.

Explanation:

The roots for bx^2-(a-3b)x+b=0 are

x = (a - 3 b pmsqrt[a^2 - 6 a b + 5 b^2])/(2 b)

The roots will be coincident and real if

a^2 - 6 a b + 5 b^2 = (a - 5 b) (a - b)=0

or

a=b or a = 5b

Now solving

x^2+(a-b)x+(ab-b^2+1)=0 we have

x = 1/2 (-a + b pm sqrt[a^2 - 6 a b + 5 b^2-4])

The condition for complex roots is

a^2 - 6 a b + 5 b^2-4 lt 0

now making a = b or a = 5b we have

a^2 - 6 a b + 5 b^2-4 = -4 < 0

Concluding, if bx^2-(a-3b)x+b=0 has coincident real roots then x^2+(a-b)x+(ab-b^2+1)=0 will have complex roots.

Oct 17, 2017

We are given that the equation:

bx^2-(a-3b)x+b=0

has one real root, therefore the discriminant of this equation is zero:

Delta = 0
=> (-(a-3b))^2 - 4(b)(b) = 0
:. (a-3b)^2 - 4b^2 = 0
:. a^2-6ab+9b^2 - 4b^2 = 0
:. a^2-6ab+5b^2 = 0
:. (a-5b)(a-b) = 0
:. a=b, or a=5b

We seek to show the equation:

x^2+(a-b)x+(ab-b^2+1) = 0

has no real roots. This would require a negative discriminant. The discriminant for this equation is:

Delta = (a-b)^2 - 4(1)(ab-b^2+1)
\ \ \ = a^2-2ab+b^2 -4ab+4b^2-4
\ \ \ = a^2-6ab+5b^2-4

And now let us consider the two possible cases that satisfy the first equation:

Case 1: a=b

Delta = a^2-6ab+5b^2-4
\ \ \ = (b)^2-6(b)b+5b^2-4
\ \ \ = b^2-6b^2+5b^2-4
\ \ \ = -4
\ \ \ lt 0

Case 2: a=5b

Delta = a^2-6ab+5b^2-4
\ \ \ = (5b)^2-6(5b)b+5b^2-4
\ \ \ = 25b^2-30b^2+5b^2-4
\ \ \ = -4
\ \ \ lt 0

Hence the conditions of the first equation are such that the second equation always has a negative discriminant, and therefore has complex roots (ie no real roots), QED