The complex numbers α1,α2,α3, and α4 are the four distinct roots of the equation x4+2x3+2=0. Determine the unordered set {α1α2+α3α4,α1α3+α2α4,α1α4+α2α3}.
A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.
Solution
Employing the elementary symmetric polynomials (s1=α1+α2+α3+α4=−2,s2=α1α2+α1α3+α1α4+α2α3+α2α4+α3α4=0,s3=α1α2α3+α2α3α4+α3α4α1+α4α1α2=0 and s4=α1α2α3α4=2 we consider the polynomial P(x)=(x−(α1α2+α3α4))(x−(α1α3+α2α4))(x−(α1α4+α2α3)). Because P is symmetric with respect to α1,α2,α3,α4, we can express the coefficients of its expanded form in terms of the elementary symmetric polynomials. We compute P(x)=x3−s2x2+(s3s1−4s4)x+(−s32−s4s12+s4s2)=x3−8x−8=(x+2)(x2−2x−4). The roots of P(x) are -2 and 1±5, so the answer is \{1 \pm \sqrt{5},-2\}.
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