Found problems: 117
Let $P(x)=x^{100}+20x^{99}+198x^{98}+a_{97}x^{97}+\ldots+a_1x+1$ be a polynomial where the $a_i~(1\le i\le97)$ are real numbers. Prove that the equation $P(x)=0$ has at least one nonreal root.
Show that the solution set of the inequality
\[ \sum^{70}_{k \equal{} 1} \frac {k}{x \minus{} k} \geq \frac {5}{4}
\]
is a union of disjoint intervals, the sum of whose length is 1988.
Show that the roots of $x^4 +ax^3 +bx^2 +cx +d$, if suitably numbered, satisfy the relation $\frac{r_1 }{r_2 } = \frac{ r_3 }{r _4},$ provided $a^2 d=c^2 \ne 0.$
$(CZS 3)$ Let $a$ and $b$ be two positive real numbers. If $x$ is a real solution of the equation $x^2 + px + q = 0$ with real coefficients $p$ and $q$ such that $|p| \le a, |q| \le b,$ prove that $|x| \le \frac{1}{2}(a +\sqrt{a^2 + 4b})$ Conversely, if $x$ satisfies the above inequality, prove that there exist real numbers $p$ and
$q$ with $|p|\le a, |q|\le b$ such that $x$ is one of the roots of the equation $x^2+px+ q = 0.$
Let $P(x)$ be a polynomial of degree $n > 1$ with integer coefficients and let $k$ be a positive integer. Consider the polynomial $Q(x) = P(P(\ldots P(P(x)) \ldots ))$, where $P$ occurs $k$ times. Prove that there are at most $n$ integers $t$ such that $Q(t) = t$.
Define a sequence $(a_n)$ by $a_1 =1, a_2 =2,$ and $a_{k+2}=2a_{k+1}+a_k$ for all positive integers $k$. Determine all real numbers $\beta >0$ which satisfy the following conditions:
(A) There are infinitely pairs of positive integers $(p,q)$ such that $\left| \frac{p}{q}- \sqrt{2} \, \right| < \frac{\beta}{q^2 }.$
(B) There are only finitely many pairs of positive integers $(p,q)$ with $\left| \frac{p}{q}- \sqrt{2} \,\right| < \frac{\beta}{q^2 }$ for which there is no index $k$ with $q=a_k.$
A polynomial $x^n + a_1x^{n-1} + a_2x^{n-2} +... + a_{n-2}x^2 + a_{n-1}x + a_n$ has $n$ distinct real roots $x_1, x_2,...,x_n$, where $n > 1$. The polynomial $nx^{n-1}+ (n - 1)a_1x^{n-2} + (n - 2)a_2x^{n-3} + ...+ 2a_{n-2}x + a_{n-1}$ has roots $y_1, y_2,..., y_{n_1}$.
Prove that $\frac{x^2_1+ x^2_2+ ...+ x^2_n}{n}>\frac{y^2_1 + y^2_2 + ...+ y^2_{n-1}}{n - 1}$
Let $p>0$ be a given parameter. Determine all real $x$ such that \[\frac{1}{\,x+\sqrt{p-x^2\,}\,}+\frac{1}{\,x-\sqrt{p-x^2\,}\,}\ge\frac{1}{\,p\,}.\]
For a natural number $b$, let $N(b)$ denote the number of natural numbers $a$ for which the equation $x^2 + ax + b = 0$ has integer roots. What is the smallest value of $b$ for which $N(b) = 20$?
Prove that if for any positive $p$ all roots of the equation $ax^2 + bx + c + p = 0$ are real and positive then $a = 0$.
Let $P(x)=x^3+ax^2+b$ and $Q(x)=x^3+bx+a$, where $a$ and $b$ are nonzero real numbers. Suppose that the roots of the equation $P(x)=0$ are the reciprocals of the roots of the equation $Q(x)=0$. Prove that $a$ and $b$ are integers. Find the greatest common divisor of $P(2013!+1)$ and $Q(2013!+1)$.
Let $k$ be a real number such that the product of real roots of the equation $$X^4 + 2X^3 + (2 + 2k)X^2 + (1 + 2k)X + 2k = 0$$ is $-2013$. Find the sum of the squares of these real roots.
For which real numbers $p$ does the equation $x^{2}+px+3p=0$ have integer solutions ?
Let $n$ be an integer greater than $3$. Prove that all the roots of the polynomial
$P(x) = x^n - 5x^{n-1} + 12x^{n-2}- 15x^{n-3} + a_{n-4}x^{n-4} +...+ a_0$ cannot be both real and positive.
Do there exist four polynomials $P_1(x), P_2(x), P_3(x), P_4(x)$ with real coefficients, such that the sum of any three of them always has a real root, but the sum of any two of them has no real root?
Find the values of $p$ for which the equation $x^5 - px-1 = 0$ has two roots $r$ and $s$ which are the roots of equation $x^2-ax+b= 0$ for some integers $a,b$.
Find all real numbers$p, q$ for which the polynomial equation $P(x) = x^4 - \frac{8p^2}{q}x^3 + 4qx^2 - 3px + p^2 = 0$ has four positive roots.
For which real numbers $p$ does the equation $x^{2}+px+3p=0$ have integer solutions ?
Let $f(x) = 2x^2 + x - 1, f^{0}(x) = x$, and $f^{n+1}(x) = f(f^{n}(x))$ for all real $x>0$ and $n \ge 0$ integer (that is, $f^{n}$ is $f$ iterated $n$ times).
a) Find the number of distinct real roots of the equation $f^{3}(x) = x$
b) Find, for each $n \ge 0$ integer, the number of distinct real solutions of the equation $f^{n}(x) = 0$
The equation
\[x^5 + 5 \lambda x^4 - x^3 + (\lambda \alpha - 4)x^2 - (8 \lambda + 3)x + \lambda \alpha - 2 = 0\]
is given. Determine $\alpha$ so that the given equation has exactly (i) one root or (ii) two roots, respectively, independent from $\lambda.$
Let $a$ and $b$ be arbitrary distinct numbers.
Prove that the equation $(x +a) (x+b)=2x+a+b$ has two different roots.
Find the least positive integer $n$, such that there is a polynomial \[ P(x) = a_{2n}x^{2n}+a_{2n-1}x^{2n-1}+\dots+a_1x+a_0 \] with real coefficients that satisfies both of the following properties:
- For $i=0,1,\dots,2n$ it is $2014 \leq a_i \leq 2015$.
- There is a real number $\xi$ with $P(\xi)=0$.
If $f(x) = ax^2 + bx + c$ satisfies the condition $|f(x)| < 1; \forall x \in [-1, 1]$,
prove that the equation $f(x) = 2x^2 - 1$ has two real roots.
Let $ f(x)$ be a monic polynomial of degree $ 1991$ with integer coefficients. Define $ g(x) \equal{} f^2(x) \minus{} 9.$ Show that the number of distinct integer solutions of $ g(x) \equal{} 0$ cannot exceed $ 1995.$
Determine whether there exist distinct real numbers $a, b, c, t$ for which:
[i](i)[/i] the equation $ax^2 + btx + c = 0$ has two distinct real roots $x_1, x_2,$
[i](ii)[/i] the equation $bx^2 + ctx + a = 0$ has two distinct real roots $x_2, x_3,$
[i](iii)[/i] the equation $cx^2 + atx + b = 0$ has two distinct real roots $x_3, x_1.$