Quintic root composition

Algebra Level 3

The polynomial P ( x ) = x 5 x 2 + 1 P(x) = x^5 - x^2 + 1 has five roots r 1 r_1 , r 2 r_2 , r 3 r_3 , r 4 r_4 , and r 5 r_5 . Find the value of the product Q ( r 1 ) Q ( r 2 ) Q ( r 3 ) Q ( r 4 ) Q ( r 5 ) Q(r_1)Q(r_2)Q(r_3)Q(r_4)Q(r_5) , where Q ( x ) = x 2 + 1 Q(x) = x^2 + 1 .


The answer is 5.

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

Chew-Seong Cheong
Nov 22, 2020

Since r 1 r_1 , r 2 r_2 , r 3 r_3 , r 4 r_4 , and r 5 r_5 are the roots of P ( x ) P(x) , this means that

k = 1 5 ( x r k ) = P ( x ) = x 5 x 2 + 1 k = 1 5 ( r k + x ) = P ( x ) k = 1 5 ( r k + i ) = P ( i ) k = 1 5 ( r k + i ) ( r k i ) = P ( i ) P ( i ) k = 1 5 ( r k 2 + 1 ) = ( i 5 i 2 + 1 ) ( ( i ) 5 ( i ) 2 + 1 ) k = 1 5 Q ( r k ) = ( i ( 1 ) + 1 ) ( i ( 1 ) + 1 ) = ( 2 + i ) ( 2 i ) = 5 \begin{aligned} \prod_{k=1}^5 (x-r_k) & = P(x) = x^5 - x^2 + 1 \\ \prod_{k=1}^5 (r_k+x) & = - P(x) \\ \prod_{k=1}^5 (r_k+i) & = - P(i) \\ \prod_{k=1}^5 (r_k+i)(r_k-i) & = P(i)P(-i) \\ \prod_{k=1}^5 (r_k^2+1) & = (i^5-i^2+1)((-i)^5-(-i)^2+1) \\ \prod_{k=1}^5 Q(r_k) & = (i-(-1)+1)(-i-(-1)+1) \\ & =(2+i)(2-i) = \boxed 5 \end{aligned}

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...