Polynomial Roots - 3

Algebra Level 5

It is known that a positive real number x x exists such that:

243 x 6 6 + 54 x 5 + 18 x 3 + 2 x = 18 x 2 6 + 54 243x^6 \sqrt{6} + 54x^5 + 18x^3 + 2x = 18x^2 \sqrt{6} + \sqrt{54}

If x x can be expressed as a b \sqrt{a} - \sqrt{b} , where a a and b b are rational numbers , find the value of a b \dfrac{a}{b} .


The answer is 163.

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
Sep 28, 2020

We can immediately spot lots of powers of 3 3 in the coefficients. Also, some coefficients involve a 6 \sqrt6 , and some don't.

Rearranging, the equation is ( 243 x 6 18 x 2 3 ) 6 = 2 x ( 27 x 4 + 9 x 2 + 1 ) \left(243x^6-18x^2-3 \right) \sqrt6 = -2x \left(27x^4+9x ^2+1 \right)

Now, let u = 3 x u=3x : ( 1 3 u 6 2 u 2 3 ) 6 = 2 3 u ( 1 3 u 4 + u 2 + 1 ) \left(\frac13 u^6-2u^2-3 \right) \sqrt6 = -\frac23 u \left(\frac13 u^4+u ^2+1 \right)

Clearing fractions: 3 ( u 6 6 u 2 9 ) 6 = 2 u ( u 4 + 3 u 2 + 3 ) 3\left(u^6-6u^2-9 \right) \sqrt6 = -2u \left(u^4+3u ^2+3 \right)

Noting that u 2 3 u^2-3 is a factor of the left-hand side, 3 ( u 2 3 ) ( u 4 + 3 u 2 + 3 ) 6 = 2 u ( u 4 + 3 u 2 + 3 ) 3\left(u^2-3\right) \left(u^4+3u^2+3 \right) \sqrt6 = -2u \left(u^4+3u ^2+3 \right)

For real u u , the expression u 4 + 3 u 2 + 3 u^4+3u ^2+3 is always positive; hence we can divide through leaving 3 ( u 2 3 ) 6 = 2 u 3\left(u^2-3\right) \sqrt6 = -2u

This is just a quadratic in u u : 3 6 u 2 + 2 u 9 6 = 0 3\sqrt6 u^2 + 2u - 9\sqrt6=0

Solving, u = 2 ± 4 + 648 6 6 = 1 ± 163 3 6 u=\frac{-2\pm \sqrt{4+648}}{6\sqrt6}=\frac{-1\pm \sqrt{163}}{3\sqrt6}

To get a positive result, we need to take the positive root; finally x = 1 3 u = 1 + 163 9 6 x=\frac13 u = \frac{-1+ \sqrt{163}}{9\sqrt6}

This can be rewritten as x = 163 486 1 486 x=\sqrt{\frac{163}{486}}-\sqrt{\frac{1}{486}}

so the final answer is 163 \boxed{163} .

correction shouldnt the denominator of the surds in the last equation be 486 and not 648?

gaoyi zhu - 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Log in to reply

Yes! Thank you, corrected now.

Chris Lewis - 7 months, 2 weeks ago

im too dum to understand this im a 6th grader who is doing this for Academy HW and in school I'm learning ratios. the beautiful world of academies...

Jayden Bang - 7 months, 1 week ago

Log in to reply

It says that you are 20.

Razzi Masroor - 4 months ago

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...