QUADRATIC FUNCTION

CONTENTS:
Introduction
Symmetric Functions
Types of Roots/Nature of
Roots
INTRODUCTION
We recall that if ax2 + bx + c = 0, where a, b and c are constants such that a ≠ 0,
then,
−𝑏+ 𝑏2 −4𝑎𝑐 −𝑏− 𝑏2 −4𝑎𝑐
x = or x =
2𝑎 2𝑎

Suppose we represent these distinct roots by α and β; thus:

−𝑏+ 𝑏2 −4𝑎𝑐
α=
2𝑎
and
−𝑏− 𝑏2 −4𝑎𝑐
β=
2𝑎

We may also put D = b2 – 4ac, so that

−𝑏+ 𝐷
α=
2𝑎
−𝑏− 𝐷
β=
2𝑎
Sum of roots Products of roots
(−𝑏+ 𝐷) (−𝑏− 𝐷) (−𝑏+ 𝐷) (−𝑏− 𝐷)
α+β= + αβ =
2𝑎 2𝑎 2𝑎 × 2𝑎
b2 – D
˸αβ =
−𝑏+ 𝐷 −𝑏 − 𝐷 4𝑎2
=
2𝑎
−2𝑏 b2 – ( b2 − 4ac)
= =
2𝑎 4𝑎2
4𝑎𝑐
=
−𝑏 4𝑎2
= 𝑐
𝑎 =
𝑎
Hence, if ax2 + bx + c = 0, where a, b and c are constants andα≠ 0 then α
−𝑏
+β= ,
𝑎
𝑐
αβ = , 𝑤𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑓
𝑎
x2 + x – 42 = 0
then (x – 6) (x – 7) = 0

Hence the roots of the equation are 6 and -7.

In general, if a quadratic equation factorizes into
(x – α) (x - β) = 0
then α and β must be the roots of that equation.

The general quadratic equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 can also be written as:

𝑏𝑥 𝑐
x2 + + = 0 …(1)
𝑎 𝑎
If the roots of the equation are α and β then the above equation can be
written as:
(x –α) (x – β) = 0
x2 – (α + β) x + αβ = 0 ---(2)
By comparing coefficients in equations (1) and (2)
𝑏
-(α + β) =
𝑎
−𝑏
:α+β=
𝑎
𝑐
And αβ =
𝑑
The above consideration gives rise to two problems:
(a) Given a quadratic equation, we can find the sum and product of the roots.
(b) Given the roots, we can formulate the corresponding quadratic equation.

The quadratic equation whose roots are α and β is

x2 – (α + β) x + α β = 0 ----------------- (**)
Find the sum and product of the roots of each of the following
quadratic equations:
(a) 2x2 + 3x – 1 = 0
(b) 3x2 – 5x – 2 = 0
(c) x2 – 4x – 3 = 0
(d) ½ x2 – 3x – 1 = 0

Solution
(a) 2x2 + 3x – 1 = 0
a = 2; b = 3; c = -1
Let α and β be the roots of the equation, then
−𝑏 −3
α + β= =
𝑎 2
𝑐 −1
αβ= =
𝑎 2
(b) 3x2 – 5x – 2 = 0 (d) ½ x2 – 3x – 1 = 0
a = 3; b = -5; c = -2 a = ½, b = -3, c = -1
Let α and β be the root of the Let α and β be the root of the
equation, then equation, then
−𝑏 5 −𝑏 (3)
α+β= = α+β= = 1 =6
𝑎 3 𝑎
𝑐 −2 2
αβ= = αβ=
𝑐
=
−1
= -2
𝑎 3 1
𝑎
2

(c) x2 – 4x – 3 = 0
a = 1; b = 4; c = -3
Let α and β be the root of the
equation, then
−𝑏 4
α+β= =
𝑎 1
𝑐
αβ= = −3
𝑎
Find the quadratic equation whose roots are:
(a) 3 and -2 (b) ½ and 5
(c) -1 and 8 (d)¾ and ½

Solution
The quadratic equation whose roots are α and β is x2 –
(α + β) x +αβ = 0.
(a) α + β = 3 – 2 = 1, αβ = 3 (-2) = -6
: The quadratic equation whose roots are 3 and -2 is x2
– x – 6 = 0.
1 11 5
(b) α + β = + 5 = , αβ =
2 2 2
1
:The quadratic equation whose roots are 𝑎𝑛𝑑 5 𝑖𝑠
2
11 5
x2– 𝑥 + = 0
2 2
or 2x2 – 11x + 5 = 0

(c) α+ β = 7, αβ = -8
:α β = 7,α β = -8
:The quadratic equation whose roots are -1 and 8 is x2 – 7x – 8 = 0.

3 1 5 3 1 3
(d) α+ β = + = , αβ= 𝑥 =
4 2 4 4 2 8
:The quadratic equation whose roots are ¾ and ½ is
5 3
x2– 𝑥 + = 0
4 8
or 8x2 – 10x + 3 = 0
Symmetric Function of Roots
The symmetric function of α and β is one in which if α and β
are interchanged, the function is the same or is multiplied by
-1.
The following symmetric function should be noted:
𝛼 2 + 𝛽 2 = (𝛼 + 𝛽)2 – 2αβ
α – β = (𝛼 + 𝛽)2 – 4αβ
𝛼 2 – 𝛽 2 = (𝛼 + 𝛽) (𝛼 + 𝛽)2 – 4αβ
𝛼 3 + 𝛽3 = (𝛼 + 𝛽){(𝛼 + 𝛽)2 – 3αβ}
𝛼 3 – 𝛽 3 = (𝛼 − 𝛽){(𝛼 + 𝛽)2 – αβ}
Example: If α and β are the roots
Therefore,
of the equation 3x2 + 5x – 2 = 0,
1 1 1 1 𝛽+ 𝛼
find the value of
𝛼
+
𝛽
+ =
𝛼 𝛽 𝛼𝛽
𝛼+𝛽
Solution =
𝛼𝛽
3x2 + 5x – 2 = 0 −5 −2
= ÷
3 3
Compare with ax2 + bx + c = 0
−5 3
Then: a = 3, b = 5 and c = - = ×
3 −2
2 5
−𝑏 −5
=
𝛼 + 𝛽 = = 2
𝑎 3
𝑐 −2
αβ = =
𝑎 3
Example 2: One of the roots of the
equation 27x2 +bx + 8 = 0 is known 2 −𝑏
α+ 𝛼 = --------(*)
to be the square of the other. Find 27
b. Similarly,
𝑐8
αβ = =
Solution 𝑎
27
2 8
Let the roots be α and 𝛼 2 α(𝛼 ) =
27
27x2 +bx + 8 = 0 3 8
𝛼 =
Compare with : ax2 + bx + c = 0 27

a = 27, b = b and c = 8 3 8
α=
−𝑏 −𝑏 27
𝛼 + 𝛽 = =
𝑎 27
2
α=
3
Substitute α into (*)
−𝑏
α + 𝛼2 =
27
2 2 2 −𝑏
( ) + =
3 3 27
2 4 −𝑏
+ =
3 9 27
6+4 −𝑏
=
9 27
10 −𝑏
=
9 27
-9b = 270
270
b=
−9
b = -30
Types of Roots of a Quadratic Equation
The Graph of y = ax2 + bx + c (a ≠ 0) is called a parabola and
has two shapes depending on whether a > 0 or a < 0
Q

a >0
a <0

P
When a > 0, the lowest point on the graph is called the minimum point, and it occurs when
𝑏
x = − 2𝑎 . 𝑆𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑎 < 0
𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑄 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑜ℎ 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑐𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑠
𝑏
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑥 = −
2𝑎
𝑏
Also, the line when 𝑥 = − 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑦𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑦.
2𝑎

a<0
a>0

𝑏 𝑏
x = − 2𝑎 x = − 2𝑎
Nature of Roots
We recall that the solution of
ax2 + bc + c = 0
𝑏± 𝐷
is x = − , where D = b2 – 4ac
2𝑎

Complex roots: A quadratic equation is said to have complex roots if b2

– 4ac < 0. In general, we can say that a quadratic equation is said to have
complex roots if b2 – 4ac ≤ 0.
Real and Different roots: A quadratic equation is said to be real and
different if b2 – 4ac >0. In general, we can say that a quadratic equation
is said to have real and different roots if b2 – 4ac ≥ 0.
Equal Roots: A quadratic equation is said to have equal roots
if b2 – 4ac = 0. This condition also works for perfect square.
Example: Determine the nature of roots of the following
quadratic equations:
(i) x2 – 3x – 2 = 0
(ii) x2 – 6x + 9 = 0
(iii) 2x2 – 2x + 5 = 0

Solution
(i) a = 1; b = -3; c = -2
D = b2 – 4ac
=9+8
= 17 < 0
Hence the roots of the equation are real and distinct.
(ii) x2 – 2x + 9 = 0
a = 1; b = -6; c = 9
D = b2 – 4ac
= 36 – 36
=0
Hence the roots are real and equal.

(iii) 2x2 – 2x + 5 = 0
a = 2; b = -2; c = 5
D = b2 – 4ac
= 4 – 40
= -36
Hence the roots are imaginary.
Example 2: For what value of k k2 + 2k + 1 – 4k2 = 0
does the equation kx2 + (k + 1)x +
k = 0 have equal root. -3k2 + 2k + 1 = 0
Solution Multiply through by -1
3k2 – 2k – 1 = 0
kx2 + (k + 1)x + k = 0
3k2 – 3k + k – 1 = 0
Compare with ax2 + bx + c = 0
3k(k – 1) + 1(K – 1) = 0
Then: a = k, b = k + 1, c = k
(3k + 1)(k – 1) = 0
For equal roots: −1
k= or k = 1
b2 – 4ac = 0 3

(k + 1)2 – 4 × k × k = 0
Example 3: If the quadratic equation p2 – 4p(p + 3) ≥ 0
px(x – 1) + p + 3 = 0 has real roots,
find the possible values of p p2 – 4p2 – 12p ≥ 0

Solution -3p2 – 12p ≥ 0

px(x – 1) + p + 3 = 0 Divide through by -3

px2 – px + p + 3 = 0 p2 + 4p ≤ 0

Compare with: ax2 + bx + c = 0 p(p + 4) ≤ 0

Then: a = p, b = -p and c = p + 3 p = 0 or p + 4 = 0

For real roots: p = 0 or p = -4

b2 – 4ac ≥ 0 Finally:

(-p)2 – 4 × p × (p + 3) ≥ 0 -4 ≤ p ≤ 0