SOLUTION: Could someone please please help me with this: f(x)= (x²-1)(x-1). 1.Show why f(x)is greater or equal to 0 in each of the following cases: a)x>1 b)0<x<1 c)-1<x<0 2.Deduce

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Question 67976: Could someone please please help me with this:
f(x)= (x²-1)(x-1).
1.Show why f(x)is greater or equal to 0 in each of the following cases:
a)x>1
b)0 c)-1 2.Deduce that x^3+1>x^2+x for all x>-1.
Thank you very for your great help!!!!!!!

Answer by Edwin McCravy(20054)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Could someone please please help me with this:

f(x)= (x²-1)(x-1). 

First completely factor the expression for f(x)

f(x) = (x-1)(x+1)(x-1)

f(x) = (x-1)²(x+1)


1.Show why f(x)is greater or equal to 0 in each of the following cases:

a)  x > 1

1.     x > 1                    Given

2.   x+1 > 2                    Added 1 to both sides of 1

3.  (x-1)²(x+1) > 2(x-1)²       Multiplied both sides of 2 by
                                nonnegative quantity (x-1)², which is
                                nonnegative because the square of any
                                quantity is nonnegative.

4.  f(x) > 2(x-1)²              Substituted f(x) for (x-1)²(x+1) in 3.

5.  f(x) > 0                    Because 4 tells us f(x) is greater than or
                                equal to twice the square of a quantity, which
                                is nonnegative.

----------------------------------------------------------

b)   0 < x < 1

1.   0 < x < 1                          Given     

2.  0+1 < x+1 < 1+1                     Added 1 to all 3 sides of 1

3.    1 < x+1 < 2                       Simplified 2

4.  (x-1)²·1 < (x-1)²(x+1) < (x-1)²·2   Multiplied all 3 sides of 3
                                        by non-negative quantity (x-1)², 
                                        which is known to be non-negative
                                        because any quantity squared is
                                        nonnegative.

5. (x-1)² < (x-1)²(x-1) < 2(x+1)²       Simplified 4

6. (x-1)²(x+1) > (x-1)²                 Writing 5 equivalently. (Don't need
                                        right side of 5.)  

7.  f(x) > (x-1)²                       Substituting f(x) for (x-1)²(x+1)

8.  f(x) > 0                            Because 7 tells us f(x) is greater
                                        than a square quantity, and a 
                                        squared quantity is greater than or 
                                        equal to 0. 



--------------------------------------------

c) -1 < x < 0

1.  -1 < x < 0                          Given     

2. -1+1 < x+1 < 0+1                     Added 1 to all 3 sides of 1

3.    0 < x+1 < 1                       Simplified 2

4.  (x-1)²·0 > (x-1)²(x+1) > (x-1)²·1   Multiplied all 3 sides of 3
                                        by non-negative quantity (x-1)², 
                                        which is known to be non-negative
                                        because any quantity squared is
                                        nonnegative.

5.   0 > (x-1)²(x+1) > (x-1)²           Simplified 4

6.  (x-1)²(x+1) > 0                     Writing 5 equivalently. (Don't need
                                        right side of 5.)  

7.  f(x) > 0                            Substituting f(x) for (x-1)²(x+1)



------
2.Deduce that

 x³+1 > x²+x for all x > -1

This isn't true because when x = 1, the inequality 
becomes 2 > 2 which is false.

You must have meant 

 x³+1 > x²+x for all x > -1

Factor both sides of the inequality, to see what
we need to prove.  We need to prove this:

 (x+1)(x²-x+1) > x(x+1)

1. x > -1                    Given

2. x+1 > 0                   Added 1 to both sides of 1
 
Now we need to work backwards and look at what we need.
We need to show that x²-x+1 > x so we can multiply both
sides of 2  by x+1 which we know is positive from 2.  But
that inequality is equivalent to x²-2x+1 > 0 by adding
-x to both sides.  Then that is equivalent to (x-1)² > 0.
But that is true because any squared quantity is 
nonnegative. So now we reverse our thinking here:

3. (x-1)² > 0               The square of any quantity is
                            nonnegative.

4. x²-2x+1 > 0              Squared x-1 in 3. 

5. x²-x+1 > x               Added x to both sides.  

6. (x+1)(x²-x+1) > x(x+1)   Multiplied both sides of 5 by positive
                            quantity (x+1), which we know is 
                            positive since 2 tells us it is greater
                            than 0.

That's what we had to prove. 

Edwin

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