Can the slope here can be found?

Geometry Level 4

You are given a cubic curve and three slopes at its roots. The slopes denoted by the blue and pink lines are 2 2 and 1 1 respectively. Find the slope of yellow line?

1 -1 2 3 - \frac 23 2 -2 3 2 - \frac 32 4 3 - \frac 43

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3 solutions

Chew-Seong Cheong
Jul 27, 2020

Let the cubic function be f ( x ) f(x) and its three real roots be a a , b b , and c c such that a < b < c a<b<c . Then we have:

f ( x ) = ( x a ) ( x b ) ( x c ) f ( x ) = ( x b ) ( x c ) + ( x a ) ( x c ) + ( x a ) ( x b ) f ( a ) = ( a b ) ( a c ) = a 2 a b + b c c a = 2 Slope of the blue line f ( c ) = ( c a ) ( c b ) = c 2 + a b b c c a = 1 Slope of the pink line f ( a ) + f ( c ) = a 2 + c 2 2 c a = ( c a ) 2 = 3 f ( b ) = ( b a ) ( b c ) Slope of the yellow line = ( a b ) ( a c ) ( c a ) ( c b ) ( c a ) 2 Note that ( c a ) 2 = 3 = f ( a ) f ( c ) 3 = 2 1 3 = 2 3 \begin{aligned} f(x) & = (x-a)(x-b)(x-c) \\ \implies f'(x) & = (x-b)(x-c) + (x-a)(x-c) + (x-a)(x-b) \\ f'(a) & = (a-b)(a-c) = a^2 - ab + bc - ca = 2 & \small \blue{\text{Slope of the blue line}} \\ f'(c) & = (c-a)(c-b) = c^2 + ab - bc -ca = 1 & \small \pink{\text{Slope of the pink line}} \\ f'(a)+f'(c) & = a^2 + c^2 - 2ca = (c-a)^2 = 3 \\ \implies f'(b) & = (b-a)(b-c) & \small \orange{\text{Slope of the yellow line}} \\ & = - \frac {\blue{(a-b)(a-c)}\pink{(c-a)(c-b)}}\red{(c-a)^2} & \small \red{\text{Note that }(c-a)^2 = 3} \\ & = - \frac {\blue{f'(a)}\pink{f'(c)}}\red 3 \\ & = - \frac {\blue 2 \cdot \pink 1}3 \\ & = \boxed {-\frac 23} \end{aligned}

very nice sir!

Swaroop Dora - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

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Glad that you like it.

Chew-Seong Cheong - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

Nice solution. I think we can make the calculations slightly easier by assuming b = 0 (it's not a loss of generality as translating the graph left or right is not going to affect the slope).

Ron Gallagher - 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Qweros Bistoros
Jul 27, 2020

f ( x ) = A ( x a ) ( x b ) ( x c ) f(x)=A(x-a)(x-b)(x-c)

f ( x ) = A ( x b ) ( x c ) + A ( x a ) ( x c ) + A ( x a ) ( x b ) f\prime(x)=A(x-b)(x-c)+A(x-a)(x-c)+A(x-a)(x-b)

f ( a ) = A ( a b ) ( a c ) f\prime(a)=A(a-b)(a-c) ,

f ( b ) = A ( b a ) ( b c ) f\prime(b)=A(b-a)(b-c)

f ( c ) = A ( c a ) ( c b ) f\prime(c)=A(c-a)(c-b)

f ( a ) + f ( c ) = A ( a b ) ( a c ) + A ( c a ) ( c b ) = A ( a c ) ( a b c + b ) = A ( a c ) 2 f\prime(a)+f\prime(c)=A(a-b)(a-c)+A(c-a)(c-b)=A(a-c)(a-b-c+b)=A(a-c)^2

f ( a ) f ( c ) = A ( a b ) ( a c ) A ( c a ) ( c b ) = A 2 ( a c ) 2 ( a b ) ( c b ) = ( A ( b a ) ( b c ) ) ( A ( a c ) 2 ) = f ( b ) ( f ( a ) + f ( c ) ) f\prime(a)f\prime(c)=A(a-b)(a-c)A(c-a)(c-b)=-A^2(a-c)^2(a-b)(c-b)=-(A(b-a)(b-c))(A(a-c)^2)=-f\prime(b)(f\prime(a)+f\prime(c))

So f ( b ) = f ( a ) f ( c ) f ( a ) + f ( c ) = 1 2 1 + 2 = 2 3 f\prime(b)=-\frac{f\prime(a)f\prime(c)}{f\prime(a)+f\prime(c)} = -\frac{1*2}{1+2}=-\frac{2}{3}

Swaroop Dora
Jul 26, 2020

Here are two solutions sent to me in Twitter and Instagram

According to the first solution, the polynomial has complex coefficients, and two complex roots(zeroes of the polynomial). So, the plot is on the complex plane.

A Former Brilliant Member - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

The first thing that came to my mind: derivative! Second: root! Third: QUIT! The formula is too long :P

Jeff Giff - 10 months, 2 weeks ago

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