Question 1209398: Let a and b be complex numbers. If a + b = 4 and a^2 + b^2 = 6 + ab, then what is a^3 + b^3? Found 2 solutions by math_tutor2020, MathTherapy:Answer by math_tutor2020(3816) (Show Source):
a+b = 4 rearranges into a = 4-b
Substitute that into a^2 + b^2 = 6 + ab and you'll get (4-b)^2 + b^2 = 6 + (4-b)*b
Expand everything out and get everything to one side.
You should arrive at 3b^2-12b+10 = 0
I'll skip steps and only provide the key milestones.
Use of the quadratic formula yields the roots and
If b is one of those roots then a = 4-b is the other root.
The order doesn't matter.
So you would get and in either order.
Cubing both of those produces and
The sum of which is
Let a and b be complex numbers. If a + b = 4 and a^2 + b^2 = 6 + ab, then what is a^3 + b^3?
a3 + b3 = (a + b)(a2 - ab + b2) ---- Applying the sum-of-cubes postulate/sum-of-cubes theorem/algebraic identity
a3 + b3 = (a + b)(a2 + b2 - ab)
a3 + b3 = 4(6 + ab - ab) ----- Substituting 4 for a + b, and 6 + ab for a2 + b2
a3 + b3 = 4(6) = 24