Roots with a difference!

After posting this problem I spent some of my time on the difference of zeroes of quadratic polynomial and came to the following result:

Consider a polynomial f(x)=x2bx+af(x)=x^{2}-bx+a and suppose it's roots are pp and qq and you know the value kk where pq=kp-q=k. Then b24a=k2b^{2}-4a=k^{2}

Proof:

f(x)=x2bx+af(x)=x^{2}-bx+a

From Vieta's formula

p+q=bp+q=b

andand

pq=apq=a

as, pq=kp-q=k therefore p=q+kp=q+k

putting this in above equations

2q+k=b2q+k=b

andand

q2+qk=aq^{2}+qk=a

b24a=(2q+k)2a(q2+qk)=4q2+4qk+k24q24qk=k2b^{2}-4a=(2q+k)^{2}-a(q^{2}+qk)=4q^{2}+4qk+k^{2}-4q^{2}-4qk=\boxed{k^{2}}

#Algebra

Note by Zakir Husain
1 year ago

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