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Quantitative Aptitude
Algebra - 2
Quadratic Equations
Find the value of b, if (x + 3) (2x + 5) = 2x2 + bx + 15.

Question – 1
Ujakar and Keshab attempted to solve a quadratic equation. Ujakar made a mistake in
writing down the constant term. He ended up with the roots (4, 3). Keshab made a
mistake in writing down the coefficient of x. He got the root as (3, 2). What will be the
exact roots of the original quadratic equation?
(CAT 2001)
(1) (6, 1) (2) (–3, –4) (3) (4, 3) (4) (–4, –3)

Question – 2
If both a and b belong to the set {1, 2, 3, 4}, then the number of equations of the form
ax2 + bx + 1 = 0 having real roots is
(1) 10 (2) 7 (3) 6 (4) 12

Question – 3
The value of a for which the equation ax2 + (a + 1)x + 1 = 0 has equal root is
(1) 1 (2) 2 (3) –1 (4) None of these

Question – 4
If the sum of the roots of the equation x2 + ax + 1 = 0 is equal to the sum of the squares
of their reciprocals, then which of the following is a possible value of a?
(1) –1 (2) 2 (3) 1 (4) 4

Question – 5
If the sum of the roots of (a + 1)x2 + (2a + 3)x + (3a + 4) = 0 is –1, then the product of
the roots is
(1) –2 (2) 2 (3) 1 (4) 6

Question – 6
If x 1 x 1
   2 , then the value of x is
1 x x 6

6 4 3 2 5 2 9 4
(1) or (2) or (3) or (4) or
13 13 2 3 2 3 13 13

Question – 7
Find the value of 6  6  6 ...  .

(1) 6 (2) 3 (3) 2 (4) 2.5

Question – 8
 1
If, x 
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
2  ........
then find the value of x
(1) 2 1 (2) 2 1
(3) 1 (4) Cannot be determined uniquely

Question – 9
Let f(x) = ax2 + bx + c, where a, b and c are certain constants and a  0. It is
known that f (5) = –3f (2) and that 3 is a root of f(x) = 0.
(CAT 2008)
What is the other root of f(x) = 0?
(1) –7 (2) –4 (3) 2 (4) 6
(5) Cannot be determined

Question – 10
Let f(x) = ax2 + bx + c, where a, b and c are certain constants and a  0. It is
known that f (5) = –3f (2) and that 3 is a root of f(x) = 0.
(CAT 2008)
What is the value of a + b + c?
(1) 9 (2) 14 (3) 13 (4) 37
(5) Cannot be determined

Question – 11
A quadratic function f(x) attains a maximum of 3 at x = 1. The value of the function at
x = 0 is 1. What is the value of f(x) at x = 10?
(CAT 2007)
(1) – 159 (2) – 110 (3) – 180 (4) – 105
(5) – 119

Question – 12
The following curve represents a quadratic function y = ax2 + bx + c. Determine the sign
of the coefficient of x2 and x. Also find the sign of the constrant term.
(Figure drawn on scale)

+ve y-axis

+ve x-axis

Question – 13
Let f(x) be a quadratic expression with a positive number coefficient of x2. If the roots of
f(x) = 0 lie in the interval (–1, 1) , then which of the following is necessarily true?
(1) f(1) > 0 and f(–1) > 0
(2) f(1) > 0 and f(–1) < 0
(3) f(1) < 0 and f(–1) < 0
(4) f(1) < 0 and f(–1) > 0

Question – 14
The equation ax2 + bx + c = 0, where a, b, c are real numbers, has one root greater
than 2 and the other root less than zero. Which of the following is necessarily true?

(1) a(a + b + c) > 0

(2) a(a + b + c) < 0

(3) a + b + c > 0

(4) a + b + c < 0

Question – 15
If a, b, c are real numbers and f(x) = ax2 + bx + c such that a + b + c = 3 and f(x + y)
10

= f(x) + f(y) + xy for all real x and y, then  f(n) is equal to

(1) 165 (2) 190 (3) 255 (4) 330

Question – 16
The value of a quadratic function f(x) is negative for all real values of x, except for x = 2.
If f(0) = –10, then find the value of f(–2).
(1) – 40 (2) – 80 (3) – 60 (4) Data Inconsistent

Question – 17
Find the maximum and the minimum possible values of the function f(x) = 2x2 + 7x – 5,
where x is a real number.

87 –89
(1) ,  22 (2) 89,  23 (3) , (4) ,
4 8

Question – 18
If 0 < p < 1, then roots of the equation (1 – p) x2 + 4x + p = 0 are
(1) Both 0
(2) Real and both negative
(3) Imaginary
(4) Real and both positive

Question – 19
Find the sum of all possible real values of p for which the equations 2x2 – x + 3p = 0
and x2 – x – p = 0 have a common root.

4 21 29
(1)  (2)  (3)  (4) 0
25 4 4

Question – 20
Higher Degree Equations
If all the roots of the equation x4 – 4x3 + ax2 + bx + 1 = 0 are positive, then find the
values of a and b, where x, a and b are real numbers.
1 7 7 1
(1) 4 and 6 (2) 6 and –4 (3) and (4) and 
2 2 2 2

Question – 21
The cubic equation x3 – Ax2 + Bx – C = 0 has three positive integral roots two of which
are equal. Which of the following statement(s) is necessarily true?

(1) If C is an even number then B must also be an even number.

(2) If B is an even number then A must also be an even number.

(3) If A is an even number then C must also be an even number.

(4) None of these

Question – 22
f(x) = ax2 + bx + c (a  0), is a function whose roots do not lie in the interval (–1, 1).
Which of the following holds true?
(1) a + c > 0 (2) a2/(b + c) > 1 (3) (a + c)2/b2 > 1 (4) b2/(a + c) > 1

Question – 23
If one root is the square of the other root in the equation x2 + px + q = 0, mark the
correct relationship in the following options.
(1) p3 – q (3p + 1) + q2 = 0
(2) p3 – q (3p – 1) + q2 = 0
(3) p3 + q (3p – 1) + q2 = 0
(4) p3 – q (3p – 1) – q2 = 0

Question – 24
Which of the following statements is correct about the root (s) of the
equation x2 – x – 1  1  0?
(1) One of the roots lies between –1 and 0 and other lie between 0 and 2.
(2) One of the roots lies between –2 and 0 and other one lies between 0 and 1.
(3) Exactly one root lies between –2 and 1.
(4) Exactly two roots lie between –3 and 3.

Question – 25
m is the smallest positive integer such that for any integer n  m, the quantity
n3 – 7n2 + 11n – 5 is positive. What is the value of m?

(CAT 2001)

(1) 4 (2) 5 (3) 8 (4) None of these

Question – 26
How many real values of x are there which satisfy the equation(x  5x  5)  1?
2
2 x  4 x 60

(1) –4 (2) 6 (3) 5 (4) 3

Question – 27
If and find the quadratic equation whose roots are and
2 2
(1) x(x – 2) = 3 (2) x   3  0 (3) x2 – 2x + 3 = 0 (4) x  3
x x

Question – 28
Challenging
The number of real roots of the equation x6 + 4x2 – 30 = 0 is
(1) 0 (2) 2 (3) 4 (4) 6

Question – 29
For which value of k does the following pair of equations yield a unique solution of x
such that the solution is positive?
x2 – y2 = 0
(x – k)2 + y2 = 1
(1) 2 (2) 0 (3) 2 (4)  2

Question – 30
Given that f(x) = Ax2 + Bx + C (A > 0). If f(x) = 0 has integral roots a and b such that
–4  a  2 and –3  b  3, then for how many distinct pairs (a, b), f(0) < 0?
(1) 18 (2) 12 (3) 21 (4) 49

Question – 31
A quadratic polynomial f(x) = ax2 + bx + c and x  0 satisfies the following conditions
1. f(– 5) = 0
2. f(14) = f(56)

Find, f(0)/(f(10).
(1) –5/13 (2) 5/13 (3) 15/17 (4) Cannot be determined

Question – 32
Thank You