SOLUTION: If a and b are the roots of the quadratic equation 3x^2 - 4x + 7 =0 , find: 1) a/3b + b/3a 2) 1/a^2 + 1/b^2 Thank you :)

Algebra ->  Quadratic Equations and Parabolas -> SOLUTION: If a and b are the roots of the quadratic equation 3x^2 - 4x + 7 =0 , find: 1) a/3b + b/3a 2) 1/a^2 + 1/b^2 Thank you :)      Log On


   



Question 1010881: If a and b are the roots of the quadratic equation 3x^2 - 4x + 7 =0 , find:
1) a/3b + b/3a
2) 1/a^2 + 1/b^2

Thank you :)

Found 3 solutions by Boreal, MathLover1, ikleyn:
Answer by Boreal(15235) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
3x^2 - 4x + 7 =0
x=(1/6){4 +/- sqrt (16-84); sqrt term =2i sqrt (17)
x=(1/6)(4+/- 2i sqrt (17)
x=(2/3)+/- (i/3)sqrt(17)
I will let a= 2/3+(i sqrt(17)/3)
b=2/3 - (i sqrt (17)/3)
a/3b + b/3a=
{2+isqrt (17)/3/2-isqrt(17)} + {2-isqrt (17)/3/2+isqrt(17)}
common denominator is (2-i sqrt (17)) (2+ i sqrt (17))=4-17i^2=4+17=21
the first term becomes (1/3)4+4i sqrt (17)-13); the second term is (1/3)(4-4i sqrt (17)-13)
They add to (1/3){8-26), because the middle terms cancel out, and that is (1/3)(-18)= -6
-6/21=-2/7 ANSWER
a^2= (1/3)*(2+i sqrt 17) all squared.
That is (1/9){4+4i sqrt(17)-17)=(1/9)(-13+4i sqrt(17)
1/a^2 = 9/-13 +4i (sqrt 17))
b^2= (1/3)(2-i sqrt (17) all squared
that is (1/9)(4-4 i sqrt (17)-13=(-13-4i sqrt (17)
1/b^2=9/(-13-4i sqrt (17)
common denominator is the conjugate, and that is 169+262=431
the numerator will be 9(-13+4i sqrt (17)) + 9 (-13-4i sqrt (17)=-234
-234/431


graph%28300%2C200%2C-10%2C10%2C-10%2C10%2C3x%5E2-4x%2B7%29

Answer by MathLover1(20849) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
If a and b are the roots of the quadratic equation 3x%5E2+-4x+%2B+7+=0 , find:
1) a%2F3b+%2B+b%2F3a
2) 1%2Fa%5E2+%2B+1%2Fb%5E2
first find the roots a and b:
3x%5E2+-4x+%2B+7+=0.....use quadratic formula
x+=+%28-b+%2B-+sqrt%28+b%5E2-4%2Aa%2Ac+%29%29%2F%282%2Aa%29+
x+=+%28-%28-4%29+%2B-+sqrt%28+%28-4%29%5E2-4%2A3%2A7+%29%29%2F%282%2A3%29+
x+=+%284+%2B-+sqrt%28+16-84+%29%29%2F6+
x+=+%284+%2B-+sqrt%28+-68+%29%29%2F6+
x+=+%284+%2B-+i%2Asqrt%28+4%2A17+%29%29%2F6+
x+=+%284+%2B-+2i%2Asqrt%28+17+%29%29%2F6+
x+=+%28cross%284%292+%2B-+cross%282%29i%2Asqrt%28+17+%29%29%2Fcross%286%293+
x+=+%282+%2B-+i%2Asqrt%28+17+%29%29%2F3+
so,
a+=+%282+%2B+i%2Asqrt%28+17+%29%29%2F3+
b+=+%282+-+i%2Asqrt%28+17+%29%29%2F3+


1)

















%288%2B+-34%29%2F%283%284+-+%281%29%2A+17+%29%29

-26%2F%283%284+%2B17+%29%29

-26%2F63....exact

or approximately
-0.4+


2)
1%2Fa%5E2+%2B+1%2Fb%5E2





9%2F%282+%2B+i%2Asqrt%28+17+%29%29%5E2+%2B+9%2F%282+-+i%2Asqrt%28+17+%29%29%5E2


....
-26%2F49 exact or approximately -0.5



Answer by ikleyn(52781) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.
If a and b are the roots of the quadratic equation 3x^2 - 4x + 7 =0 , find:
1) a/3b + b/3a
2) 1/a^2 + 1/b^2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
If a and b are the roots of the quadratic equation 3x%5E2+-+4x+%2B+7 = 0 , then

a + b = 4%2F3     (1))   and 

ab = 7%2F3.       (2)

It follows the general theorem:

    if a and b are the roots of the quadratic equation p%2Ax%5E2+%2B+q%2Ax+%2B+r = 0 then a+%2B+b = -q%2Fp and ab = r%2Fp.

From (1) and (2), a%5E2+%2B+b%5E2 = %28a+%2B+b%29%5E2-+2ab = %284%2F3%29%5E2+-+2%2A%287%2F3%29 = %2816%2F9%29+-+%2814%2F3%29 = 16%2F9+-+42%2F9 = %2816-42%29%2F9 = -26%2F9 = -13%2F3.  (3)

    Notice that we got that the sum of two squares, a%5E2+%2B+b%5E2, is negative. 
    It means that the roots a and b are complex numbers, not real roots. 
    But this fact does not reject our calculations.

Hawing this, we can easily calculate a%2F3b+%2B+b%2F3a, which is #1 of your claim. It is

a%2F3b+%2B+b%2F3a = a%5E2%2F%283ab%29+%2B+b%5E2%2F%283ab%29 = %28a%5E2+%2B+b%5E2%29%2F%283ab%29 = %28-13%2F3%29 : %283%2A%287%2F3%29%29 = %28-13%2F3%29 : 7 = -13%2F21.

Next is #2 of the claim:

1%2Fa%5E2+%2B+1%2Fb%5E2 = b%5E2%2F%28a%5E2%2Ab%5E2%29+%2B+a%5E2%2F%28a%5E2%2Ab%5E2%29 = %28a%5E2+%2B+b%5E2%29%2F%28ab%29%5E2 = %28-13%2F3%29 : %287%2F3%29%5E2 = %28-13%2F3%29 : %2849%2F9%29 = %28%28-13%29%2A3%29%2F49 = -39%2F49.

So, we do not need to calculate the roots of the given equation separately and individually to answer the claim. 
All the required information is just contained in the coefficients of the equation.

This is the major idea I want to bring to you.
This idea is the key to solving this problem and other problems similar to it.