Let $x_1$ and $x_2$ be two real roots of $m^2x^2 +2(3-m)x+1=0$. If $m=\frac{1}{x_1}+\frac{1}{x_2}$, what is the value of $m$?
Let $x_1$ and $x_2$ be the two real roots of the equation $x^2 - 2(k+1)x+k^2 + 2 = 0$. If $(x_1+1)(x_2+1) =8$, find the value of $k$
Let $x_1$ and $x_2$ be the two real roots of the equation $x^2 - 2mx + (m^2+2m+3)=0$. Find the minimal value of $x_1^2 + x_2^2$.
Both roots of the quadratic equation $x^2 - 63x + k = 0$ are prime numbers. The number of possible values of $k$ is
Two different positive numbers $a$ and $b$ each differ from their reciprocals by $1$. What is $a+b$?
For all positive integers $n$, let $f(n)=\log_{2002} n^2$. Let $N=f(11)+f(13)+f(14)$. Which of the following relations is true?
The product of two of the four zeros of the quartic equation $$x^4 - 18x^3 + kx^2 + 200x - 1984 = 0$$ is $-32$. Find $k$.
Consider the lines that meet the graph $y = 2x^4 + 7x^3 + 3x - 5$ in four distinct points $P_i = (x_i, y_i), i = 1, 2, 3, 4$. Prove that
$$\frac{x_1 + x_2 + x_3 + x_44}{4}$$
is independent of the line, and compute its value.
There exist some integers, $a$, such that the equation $(a+1)x^2 -(a^2+1)x+2a^2-6=0$ is solvable in integers. Find the sum of all such $a$.
The roots of $x^2 + ax + b+1$ are positive integers. Show that $a^2+b^2$ is not a prime number.
Let $\alpha$ and $\beta$ be the roots of $x^2+px+1$, and let $\gamma$ and $\delta$ be the roots of $x^2+qx+1$. Show $$(\alpha-\gamma)(\beta-\gamma)(\alpha+\delta)(\beta+\delta)=q^2-p^2$$
Let $n$ be a positive integer, and for $1\le k\le n$, let $S_k$ be the sum of the products of $1, \frac{1}{2}, \cdots, \frac{1}{n}$, taken $k$ a time ($k^{th}$ elementary symmetric polynomial). Find $S_1 + S_2 + \cdots +S_n$.
If the product of two roots of polynomial $x^4 - 18x^3 + kx^2 + 200x - 1984 = 0$ is $- 32$. Find the value of $k$.
Let $a$ and $b$ be the two roots of $x^2 - 3x -1=0$. Try to solve the following problems without computing $a$ and $b$:
1) Find a quadratic equation whose roots are $a^2$ and $b^2$
2) Find the value of $\frac{1}{a+1}+\frac{1}{b+1}$
3) Find the recursion relationship of $x_n=a^n + b^n$
Find as many different solutions as possible.
Three of the roots of $x^4 + ax^2 + bx + c = 0$ are $2$, $−3$, and $5$. Find the value of $a + b + c$.
In $\triangle{ABC}$, let $a$, $b$, and $c$ be the lengths of sides opposite to $\angle{A}$, $\angle{B}$ and $\angle{C}$, respectively. $D$ is a point on side $AB$ satisfying $BC=DC$. If $AD=d$, show that
$$c+d=2\cdot b\cdot\cos{A}\quad\text{and}\quad c\cdot d = b^2-a^2$$
Suppose $a_1$, $b_1$, $c_1$, $a_2$, $b_2$, and $c_2$ are all positive real numbers. If both $a_1x^2 +b_1x+c_1=0$ and $a_2x^2+b_2x+c_2=$ are solvable in real numbers. Show that their roots must be all negative. Furthermore, prove equation $a_1a_2x^2+b_1b_2x+c_1c_2=0$ has two negative real roots too.
Let $x$, $y$, and $z$ be real numbers satisfying $x=6-y$ and $z^2=xy-9$. Show that $x=y$.
Let $\alpha_n$ and $\beta_n$ be two roots of equation $x^2+(2n+1)x+n^2=0$ where $n$ is a positive integer. Evaluate the following expression $$\frac{1}{(\alpha_3+1)(\beta_3+1)}+\frac{1}{(\alpha_4+1)(\beta_4+1)}+\cdots+\frac{1}{(\alpha_{20}+1)(\beta_{20}+1)}$$
Let real numbers $a$, $b$, and $c$ satisfy
$$
\left\{
\begin{array}{rcl}
a^2 - bc-8a +7&=&0\\
b^2 + c^2 +bc-6a+6&=&0
\end{array}
\right.
$$
Show that $1 \le a \le 9$.
Find one real solution $(a, b, c, d)$ to the following system:
$$
\left\{
\begin{array}{rcl}
a+b+c+d&=&-2\\
ab+ac+ad+bc+bd+cd&=&-3\\
abc+abd+acd+bcd&=&4\\
abcd&=&3
\end{array}
\right.
$$
If $m^2 = m+1, n^2-n=1$ and $m\ne n$, compute $m^7 +n^7$.
Find the range of real number $a$ if the two roots of $x^2+2ax+6-a=0$ satisfy one of the following condition:
- two roots are both greater than 1
- one root is greater than 1 and the other is less than 1
Solve equation $(6x+7)^2(3x+4)(x+1)=6$ in real numbers.
If $x^2 + 11x+16=0, y^2 + 11y+16=0$, and $x\ne y$, what is the value of $$\sqrt{\frac{x}{y}}-\sqrt{\frac{y}{x}}$$