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Algebra Difficulty 6.5 National Olympiad Prove it Canada

Problem:
Find all real solutions to the equation 4x240[x]+51=04x^{2} - 40[x] + 51 = 0.
Here, if xx is a real number, then [x][x] denotes the greatest integer that is less than or equal to xx.

Solution

Let n=[x]n = [x], where nn is an integer and nx<n+1n \leq x < n+1.

Then the equation becomes:
4x240n+51=0 4x^2 - 40n + 51 = 0
which gives
4x2=40n51 4x^2 = 40n - 51
x2=10n12.75 x^2 = 10n - 12.75
x=±10n12.75 x = \pm \sqrt{10n - 12.75}
But nx<n+1n \leq x < n+1, so xx must be real, i.e., 10n12.75010n - 12.75 \geq 0, or n1.275n \geq 1.275. Since nn is integer, n2n \geq 2.

Also, xx must satisfy nx<n+1n \leq x < n+1.

Let us consider x=10n12.75x = \sqrt{10n - 12.75} first.

We require:
n10n12.75<n+1 n \leq \sqrt{10n - 12.75} < n+1

Let us solve n10n12.75n \leq \sqrt{10n - 12.75}:
n210n12.75 n^2 \leq 10n - 12.75
n210n+12.750 n^2 - 10n + 12.75 \leq 0
The roots of n210n+12.75=0n^2 - 10n + 12.75 = 0 are:
n=10±1004×12.752=10±100512=10±72 n = \frac{10 \pm \sqrt{100 - 4 \times 12.75}}{2} = \frac{10 \pm \sqrt{100 - 51}}{2} = \frac{10 \pm 7}{2}
So n=172=8.5n = \frac{17}{2} = 8.5 or n=32=1.5n = \frac{3}{2} = 1.5.

So 1.5n8.51.5 \leq n \leq 8.5, i.e., n=2,3,4,5,6,7,8n = 2,3,4,5,6,7,8.

Now, for each nn in 22 to 88, check if 10n12.75<n+1\sqrt{10n - 12.75} < n+1:

10n12.75<n+1\sqrt{10n - 12.75} < n+1

Square both sides:
10n12.75<(n+1)2=n2+2n+1 10n - 12.75 < (n+1)^2 = n^2 + 2n + 1
0<n28n+13.75 0 < n^2 - 8n + 13.75
The roots of n28n+13.75=0n^2 - 8n + 13.75 = 0 are:
n=8±64552=8±32=5.5,2.5 n = \frac{8 \pm \sqrt{64 - 55}}{2} = \frac{8 \pm 3}{2} = 5.5, 2.5
So n<2.5n < 2.5 or n>5.5n > 5.5

But n2n \geq 2, so n=2n = 2 or n>5.5n > 5.5, i.e., n=6,7,8n = 6,7,8.

So possible nn are 2,6,7,82,6,7,8.

Now, for each nn in 2,6,7,82,6,7,8, x=10n12.75x = \sqrt{10n - 12.75}, and nx<n+1n \leq x < n+1.

Check for n=2n = 2:
10×212.75=2012.75=7.2510 \times 2 - 12.75 = 20 - 12.75 = 7.25
7.252.6926\sqrt{7.25} \approx 2.6926
22.6926<32 \leq 2.6926 < 3 is true.

For n=6n = 6:
10×612.75=6012.75=47.2510 \times 6 - 12.75 = 60 - 12.75 = 47.25
47.256.8777\sqrt{47.25} \approx 6.8777
66.8777<76 \leq 6.8777 < 7 is true.

For n=7n = 7:
10×712.75=7012.75=57.2510 \times 7 - 12.75 = 70 - 12.75 = 57.25
57.257.5697\sqrt{57.25} \approx 7.5697
77.5697<87 \leq 7.5697 < 8 is true.

For n=8n = 8:
10×812.75=8012.75=67.2510 \times 8 - 12.75 = 80 - 12.75 = 67.25
67.258.2006\sqrt{67.25} \approx 8.2006
88.2006<98 \leq 8.2006 < 9 is true.

So for n=2,6,7,8n = 2,6,7,8, x=10n12.75x = \sqrt{10n - 12.75} is a solution.

Now, consider x=10n12.75x = -\sqrt{10n - 12.75}.

We require nx<n+1n \leq x < n+1, but 10n12.75<0-\sqrt{10n - 12.75} < 0, so n<0n < 0.

But n2n \geq 2, so there are no solutions for x=10n12.75x = -\sqrt{10n - 12.75}.

Therefore, the real solutions are:
x=10n12.75,n=2,6,7,8 x = \sqrt{10n - 12.75}, \quad n = 2,6,7,8
That is,
x1=7.252.6926 x_1 = \sqrt{7.25} \approx 2.6926
x2=47.256.8777 x_2 = \sqrt{47.25} \approx 6.8777
x3=57.257.5697 x_3 = \sqrt{57.25} \approx 7.5697
x4=67.258.2006 x_4 = \sqrt{67.25} \approx 8.2006

So all real solutions are x=7.25x = \sqrt{7.25}, x=47.25x = \sqrt{47.25}, x=57.25x = \sqrt{57.25}, x=67.25x = \sqrt{67.25}.

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