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Algebra Difficulty 3.8 AMC 10/12 Find the answer

The larger root minus the smaller root of the equation (7+43)x2+(2+3)x2=0(7+4\sqrt{3})x^2+(2+\sqrt{3})x-2=0 is

Pick one

Solution

Dividing the quadratic by 7+437 + 4\sqrt{3} to obtain a monic polynomial will give a linear coefficient of 2+37+43\frac{2 + \sqrt{3}}{7 + 4\sqrt{3}}. Rationalizing the denominator gives:
(2+3)(743)72423\frac{(2 + \sqrt{3})(7 - 4\sqrt{3})}{7^2 - 4^2 \cdot 3}
=141234948=\frac{14 - 12 - \sqrt{3}}{49-48}
=23=2 - \sqrt{3}
Dividing the constant term by 7+437 + 4\sqrt{3} (and using the same radical conjugate as above) gives:
27+43\frac{-2}{7 + 4\sqrt{3}}
=2(743)=-2(7 - 4\sqrt{3})
=8314=8\sqrt{3} - 14
So, dividing the original quadratic by the coefficient of x2x^2 gives x2+(23)x+8314=0x^2 + (2 - \sqrt{3})x + 8\sqrt{3} - 14 = 0
From the quadratic formula, the positive difference of the roots is b24aca\frac{\sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{a}. Plugging in gives:
(23)24(8314)(1)\sqrt{(2 - \sqrt{3})^2 - 4(8\sqrt{3} - 14)(1)}
=743323+56=\sqrt{7 - 4\sqrt{3} - 32\sqrt{3} + 56}
=63363=\sqrt{63 - 36\sqrt{3}}
=3743=3\sqrt{7 - 4\sqrt{3}}
Note that if we take 13\frac{1}{3} of one of the answer choices and square it, we should get 7437 - 4\sqrt{3}.
The only answers that are (sort of) divisible by 33 are 6±336 \pm 3\sqrt{3}, so those would make a good first guess. And given that there is a negative sign underneath the radical, 6336 - 3\sqrt{3} is the most logical place to start.
Since 13\frac{1}{3} of the answer is 232 - \sqrt{3}, and (23)2=743(2 - \sqrt{3})^2 = 7 - 4\sqrt{3}, the answer is indeed (D)\boxed{\textbf{(D)}}.

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.