Solving

Polynomial Equations

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The Rational Root Theorem
Given a polynomial , where then
 

wherein:
R = possible rational roots
p = factors of the constant term
r = factors of the leading coefficient

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 Find the rational roots of the equation
 

constant term  
leading coefficient  

     
 
±  ±
   
± ± ±
Formula:
  𝑝  
±𝟏 ±𝟐    

𝑅= =± 𝟏 , =±𝟐 ,
𝑞 ±𝟏 ±𝟏
 
±𝟔 ±𝟑  
=± 𝟔 , =±𝟑 ,
±𝟏 ±𝟏
No. of Rational Roots: 3 h
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Descartes Rule of Signs Y To uTb
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Descartes Rule of Signs
  Positive  Negative imaginary
 

No. of sign changes in f(x)

  3 0 0

There are 3 sign changes in f(x)

No. of sign changes in f(-x)
 

3 2
𝑓 ( − 𝑥 ) =(− 𝑥 ) − 6 ( − 𝑥 ) +11 (− 𝑥) −6
 

 
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There are 0 sign changes in f(-x) To uTb
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𝑈𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑦𝑛𝑡h𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑓 𝑡h𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑡𝑠 ±1, ±2, ± 3, 𝑎𝑛𝑑±6𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑓𝑡h𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑦𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.
 

 
Using 1
Using -1  
1
−1
  1 −6
 
−6 11
 

1 −6 11 −6
    1 −5 6    

−1 7 −18
   
1 −5  
6 0
If the value of the remainder is
   

1 −7 18 −24
   
= 0 then 1 is a rational root of
If the value of the remainder is the polynomial equation
not = 0 then -1 is not a n e l:
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rational root of the polynomial b C
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Rewrite the answer in polynomial form

1
     
−5 6 0
 

Solve using factoring

 

Apply the Zero Product Property

   

   

 
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 Find the rational roots of the equation
 

constant term  
leading coefficient  

         
   
±  ±  
± ± ± ± ±
Formula:
  𝑝 ±𝟏    
±𝟏𝟐  
±𝟐
𝑅= =± 𝟏 , =± 𝟏𝟐 , =±𝟐 ,
𝑞 ±𝟏 ±𝟏 ±𝟏
 
±𝟔  
±𝟑  
±𝟒
=± 𝟔 , =±𝟑 , =± 𝟒 ,
±𝟏 ±𝟏 ±𝟏
 
No. of Rational Roots: 3
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Descartes Rule of Signs
  Positive  Negative imaginary
 

No. of sign changes in f(x)

  1 2 0

There are 1 sign changes in f(x)

No. of sign changes in f(-x)
 
 

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There are 2 sign changes in f(-x) uTb
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𝑈𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑦𝑛𝑡h𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑓 𝑡h𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑡𝑠 ±1, ±2, ± 3, ±6𝑎𝑛𝑑±12𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓𝑡h𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑦𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.
 

 
Using 1
Using 6  
−1
 
6 1 1 −12 −12
     

1 1 −12 −12
      −1 0 12
     

6 42 180
   
1 0 −12 0      

If the value of the remainder is

 

7 30 168
   
1 = 0 then is a rational root of
If the value of the remainder is the polynomial equation
not = 0 then 6 is not a rational n e l:
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root of the polynomial b C
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 Rewrite the  answer in polynomial form  

1
 
0 −12
 
0
 
Solve the quadratic equation
Solve for the value of x:
   

 
 
.46
 

       

   

 
𝒙𝟏 =𝟐 √ 𝟑  
𝒙𝟐 =−𝟐 √ 𝟑 Ch
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𝒙𝟏 =𝟑 . 𝟒𝟔  
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 Find the rational roots of the equation
 

constant term  
leading coefficient  

           
   
± ±    
± ± ± ± ± ±
Formula:
  ±𝟏𝟐   ±𝟐   ±𝟏  ± 𝟒
  𝑝   ± 𝟏
𝑅= =± 𝟏 =± 𝟏𝟐 = ± 𝟐± 𝟑
𝑞 ±𝟏 ±𝟏 ±𝟏 ±𝟑
  ±𝟔   ±𝟑  ±𝟒   ±𝟐
=± 𝟔 =±𝟑 =± 𝟒
±𝟏 ±𝟏 ±𝟏 ±𝟑
 
No. of Rational Roots: 4
, Descartes n:e l:
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 Descartes Rule of Signs
𝟒 𝟑 𝟐
𝟑 𝒙 − 𝟏𝟔 𝒙 +𝟐𝟏 𝒙
 
+𝟒 𝒙 −𝟏𝟐=𝟎 Positive
 
Negative imaginary
 

No. of sign changes in f(x)

𝟒 𝟑 𝟐
𝒇 ( 𝒙 )=𝟑 𝒙 −𝟏𝟔 𝒙 +𝟐𝟏 𝒙 +𝟒 𝒙 − 𝟏𝟐
  3 1 0

There are 3 sign changes in f(x)

No. of sign changes in f(-x)
4 3 2
 
𝑓 ( − 𝑥 ) =3 𝑥 − 16 𝑥 +21 𝑥 +4 𝑥 −12
4 3 2
𝑓 ( − 𝑥 ) =3(− 𝑥 ) −16 ( − 𝑥 ) +21 ( − 𝑥 ) +4 (− 𝑥 )−12
 

𝟒 𝟑 𝟐
 
𝒇 ( − 𝒙 ) =𝟑 𝒙 +𝟏𝟔 𝒙 +𝟐𝟏 𝒙 −𝟒 𝒙 −𝟏𝟐
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There are 1 sign changes in f(-x) uTb
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𝟏 𝟐 𝟒
𝑼𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒚𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒔±𝟏,±𝟐,±𝟑,±𝟔,±𝟏𝟐,± ,± ,𝒂𝒏𝒅± 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒔𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒚𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.
𝟑 𝟑 𝟑
𝟒 𝟑 𝟐
 
𝟑 𝒙 − 𝟏𝟔 𝒙 +𝟐𝟏 𝒙 +𝟒 𝒙 −𝟏𝟐=𝟎 Using 2
Using 3  
2
−7 0 4      
 
3 6 −2 −4
3
     

3 −16 21
 
4 −12      

9 −21  
0 −1 −2 0
12 If the value of the remainder is
  3  
 
     

3 −7 0 4 0 = 0 then is one of the roots of

   

If the value of the remainder is the polynomial equation

= 0 then 3 is one of the roots n e l:
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 Rewrite the  answer in polynomial form
3
 
−1 −2  
0 𝟑 𝒙 𝟒 − 𝟏𝟔 𝒙 𝟑 +𝟐𝟏 𝒙𝟐 +𝟒 𝒙 −𝟏𝟐=𝟎
 
 
Solve the quadratic equation
Quadratic Formula:   1 +5   1 −5
𝑥 = 2 𝑥 =
 
𝑎=3 𝑏=−1
 
𝑐=− 
2
1
6 6
𝟐   6   −4
 
−𝒃 ± √ 𝒃 − 𝟒 𝒂𝒄 𝑥1 = 𝑥2 =
𝒙= 6 6
𝟐𝒂   𝟐
  𝒙 =𝟏
  2
−(− 1) ± √ (−1) − 4(3)(− 2) 𝟏 𝒙𝟐 =−
𝑥= 𝟑
2(3)  
 
1± √ 1+24
𝑥=
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1± √ 25   𝑥= 1 ± 5 Ch
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