Biquadratic modulus

Algebra Level 3

If f ( x ) = x 4 + a x 3 + b x 2 + c x + d f(x)= x^4 + ax^3 + bx^2 + cx + d , where a , b , c , d a, b, c, d are real numbers such that f ( x ) f(x) has all real roots and f ( i ) = 1 |f(i)|=1 , where i = 1 i= \sqrt{-1} . Find the value of f ( 0 ) + f ( 2 ) + f ( 4 ) f(0)+f(2)+f(4) .


The answer is 272.

This section requires Javascript.
You are seeing this because something didn't load right. We suggest you, (a) try refreshing the page, (b) enabling javascript if it is disabled on your browser and, finally, (c) loading the non-javascript version of this page . We're sorry about the hassle.

1 solution

Chris Lewis
Dec 7, 2020

Since f ( x ) f(x) has all real roots, say these are p , q , r , s p,q,r,s so that f ( x ) = ( x p ) ( x q ) ( x r ) ( x s ) f(x)=(x-p)(x-q)(x-r)(x-s)

In particular, f ( i ) = ( i p ) ( i q ) ( i r ) ( i s ) f(i)=(i-p)(i-q)(i-r)(i-s)

and

f ( i ) = ( i + p ) ( i + q ) ( i + r ) ( i + s ) f(-i)=(i+p)(i+q)(i+r)(i+s)

Since these are conjugates, f ( i ) 2 = f ( i ) f ( i ) = ( p 2 + 1 ) ( q 2 + 1 ) ( r 2 + 1 ) ( s 2 + 1 ) |f(i)|^2=f(i)f(-i)=\left(p^2+1\right)\left(q^2+1\right)\left(r^2+1\right)\left(s^2+1\right)

Each of these brackets is at least one; but f ( i ) = 1 |f(i)|=1 , so we must have p = q = r = s = 0 p=q=r=s=0

So f ( x ) = x 4 f(x)=x^4 and f ( 0 ) + f ( 2 ) + f ( 4 ) = 272 f(0)+f(2)+f(4)=\boxed{272} .

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...