document.write( "Question 1117462: Demonstrate that the roots of the following equation are rational\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "abc²x² + 3a²cx + b²cx - 6a² - ab + 2b² = 0
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Algebra.Com's Answer #732589 by greenestamps(13200)\"\" \"About 
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\n" ); document.write( "Part of my solution to the problem is basically the same as the other tutor's; the other part is far different.

\n" ); document.write( "As he says, put the equation in pure quadratic form:

\n" ); document.write( "\"%28abc%5E2%29x%5E2%2B%283a%5E2c%2Bb%5E2c%29x%2B%28-6a%5E2-ab%2B2b%5E2%29+=+0\"

\n" ); document.write( "In a quadratic equation

\n" ); document.write( "\"px%5E2%2Bqx%2Br=0\"

\n" ); document.write( "the sum of the roots is \"-q%2Fp\" and the product of the roots is \"r%2Fp\".

\n" ); document.write( "In this equation, the product of the roots is

\n" ); document.write( "\"-6a%5E2-ab%2B2b%5E2%29%2F%28abc%5E2%29\"

\n" ); document.write( "or

\n" ); document.write( "\"%28-%283a%2B2b%29%282a-b%29%29%2F%28abc%5E2%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "With abc^2 as the denominator in the product of the two roots, the denominators of the two roots are most likely ac and bc. There are then four possible pairs of roots:

\n" ); document.write( "(1) \"-%283a%2B2b%29%2F%28ac%29\" and \"%282a-b%29%2F%28bc%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "(2) \"-%283a%2B2b%29%2F%28bc%29\" and \"%282a-b%29%2F%28ac%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "(3) \"%283a%2B2b%29%2F%28ac%29\" and \"-%282a-b%29%2F%28bc%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "(4) \"%283a%2B2b%29%2F%28bc%29\" and \"-%282a-b%29%2F%28ac%29\"

\n" ); document.write( "To find which is the correct pair of roots, we use the fact that the sum of the roots has to be

\n" ); document.write( "\"%28-3a%5E2c-b%5E2c%29%2F%28abc%5E2%29+=+%28-3a%5E2-b%5E2%29%2F%28abc%29\"

\n" ); document.write( "The second pair of roots gives us this sum:

\n" ); document.write( "\"-%283a%2B2b%29%2F%28bc%29%2B%282a-b%29%2F%28ac%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"%28-3a%5E2-2ab%2B2ab-b%5E2%29%2F%28abc%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"%28-3a%5E2-b%5E2%29%2F%28abc%29\"

\n" ); document.write( "So the two roots are

\n" ); document.write( "\"-%283a%2B2b%29%2F%28bc%29\" and \"%282a-b%29%2F%28ac%29\"

\n" ); document.write( "And as long as none of a, b, or c is 0, those roots are rational.
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