Problem: Find all values of the real parameter p such that the equation ∣x2−px−2p+1∣=p−1 has four real roots x1,x2,x3 and x4 such that x12+x22+x32+x42=20
Solution
Solution: Answer: p=2. The condition p>1 is necessary (but not sufficient!) for existence of four roots. We consider two cases:
Case 1. If x2−px−2p+1=p−1⟺x2−px−3p+2=0 then by the Vieta theorem we obtain x12+x22=p2−2(2−3p)=p2+6p−4.
Case 2. If x2−px−2p+1=1−p⟺x2−px−p=0 then by the Vieta theorem we obtain x32+x42=p2+2p.
Now the condition implies x12+x22+x32+x42=20⟺2p2+8p−4=20⟺p2+4p−12=0 whence p=2 or p=−6. The second value does not satisfy p>1. For p=2 we do have four real roots (direct check!).
Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track
puts 2,604 problems in a working order, from Junior Challenge level to the IMO shortlist.
Source: MathNet,
licensed CC-BY-4.0.
Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.