Law of quadratic insanity

Algebra Level 5

α x 2 7 x + 5 5 x 2 7 x + α \large \frac { { \alpha x }^{ 2 }-7x+5 }{ { 5x }^{ 2 }-7x+\alpha }

α \alpha is a real number such that the image of the above expression is all real values. If α \alpha lies in the interval ( p , q ) (p,q) , find p + q p + q .


The answer is -10.

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1 solution

Ravi Dwivedi
Jul 18, 2015

y = a x 2 7 x + 5 5 x 2 7 x + a \large y=\frac{ax^2-7x+5}{5x^2-7x+a}

( 5 y a ) x 2 7 ( y 1 ) x + ( a y 5 ) = 0 (5y-a)x^2-7(y-1)x+(ay-5)=0

This is quadratic in x and must have real roots

i.e.Discriminant must be nonnegative.

49 ( y 1 ) 2 4 ( 5 y a ) ( a y 5 ) 0 49(y-1)^2-4(5y-a)(ay-5)\geq 0

( 49 20 a ) y 2 + ( 2 + 4 a 2 ) y + ( 49 20 a ) 0 (49-20a)y^2+(2+4a^2)y+(49-20a)\geq 0

This above inequality is true for all y R y\in R as it is given that the expression is capable of all values.

So 49 20 a > 0 49-20a>0 and Discriminant <0

a < 49 2 ( 1 ) a<\frac{49}{2}\quad (1)

4 ( 1 + 2 a 2 ) 2 4 ( 49 20 a ) 2 < 0 4(1+2a^2)^2-4(49-20a)^2<0

( a 2 10 a + 25 ) ( a 2 10 a + 24 ) < 0 (a^2-10a+25)(a^2-10a+24)<0

( a 5 ) 2 ( a 2 10 a + 24 ) < 0 (a-5)^2(a^2-10a+24)<0

a 2 10 a + 24 < 0 a^2-10a+24<0

a ( 12 , 2 ) a\in (-12,2) which also satisfies the inequality (1) obtained above

So p = 12 , q = 2 p=-12,q=2

Moderator note:

Be careful with claiming that it is a quadratic in x x . What happens if 5 y a = 0 5y -a = 0 (and 7 ( y 1 ) = 0 7 (y-1) = 0 ) ?

Why are you taking discriminant<0 in the equation to solve for the interval of a?

Agniprobho Mazumder - 5 years, 11 months ago

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This is because the quadratic in y must be non negative for all values of y which is possible only when the parabola is upward i.E. coeff of x 2 x^2 >0 and have at most one real root means discriminant \leq 0

Ravi Dwivedi - 5 years, 11 months ago

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