Ramesh V
Last Activity: 14 Years ago
Suppose that f(x) has three distinct roots. Then are are x1 and x2 (by Rolle's theorem) sitting between these roots such that f'(x1) = f'(x2) = 0:
Since f'(x) is a quadratic with roots x1 and x2; it follows that p < 0: Setting f0(x) = 0
we get x1 := -(p/3)1/2 and x2 = -(p/3)1/2
From the second derivative we see that f has a local maximum and a local minimum at x1 and x2; respectively. Therefore f(x1) > 0 and f(x2) < 0; that is,
f(x1)f(x2) < 0 which gives 27q2 + 4p3 < 0
Conversely, suppose that 27q2 + 4p3 < 0: Then obviously p < 0: Therefore f'(x) = 0 has two roots x1 and x2 at which f has a local max and a local min. That there is a root between x1 and x2 follows from the fact that f(x1)f(x2) < 0
(so apply IVT). Since f(x) --> - infinity as x --> - infinity and f(x) --> infinity as x --> infinity; it follows that f has one root in
( - infinity, x1) and another in (x2, infinity):
Hence f has three roots.
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regards
Ramesh