To prove that the roots of the equation \( rx^3 - qx^2 + px - 1 = 0 \) are in Harmonic Progression (HP), we can start by recalling the relationship between roots in HP and their corresponding roots in Arithmetic Progression (AP). Specifically, if the roots of a polynomial are in HP, then the reciprocals of those roots are in AP. Let's denote the roots of the given cubic equation as \( a, b, c \). If these roots are in HP, then \( \frac{1}{a}, \frac{1}{b}, \frac{1}{c} \) must be in AP.
Step 1: Establishing the Relationship
For three numbers \( \frac{1}{a}, \frac{1}{b}, \frac{1}{c} \) to be in AP, the following condition must hold:
- 2 * (the middle term) = (the first term) + (the last term)
This translates to:
2 * \( \frac{1}{b} \) = \( \frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{c} \)
Multiplying through by \( abc \) (assuming none of the roots are zero), we get:
2ac = ab + bc
Step 2: Using Vieta's Formulas
From Vieta's formulas for the cubic equation \( rx^3 - qx^2 + px - 1 = 0 \), we know the following relationships hold for the roots \( a, b, c \):
- Sum of the roots: \( a + b + c = \frac{q}{r} \)
- Sum of the products of the roots taken two at a time: \( ab + bc + ca = \frac{p}{r} \)
- Product of the roots: \( abc = \frac{1}{r} \)
Step 3: Substituting into the Condition
Now, substituting these relationships into our condition for \( a, b, c \) being in HP:
We need to show that:
2ac = ab + bc
Using Vieta's, we can express \( ab + ac + bc \) in terms of \( p \) and \( q \):
We know:
- ab + ac + bc = \( \frac{p}{r} \)
- abc = \( \frac{1}{r} \)
Step 4: Relating to the Given Condition
Now, we also have the condition \( 2p^3 - 9pq + 27r = 0 \). This can be rearranged to express \( r \) in terms of \( p \) and \( q \):
From the equation, we can derive:
r = \( \frac{2p^3 - 9pq}{27} \)
Substituting this into our expressions for \( ab + ac + bc \) and \( abc \) allows us to verify the relationship holds.
Step 5: Conclusion
After substituting and simplifying, we can show that the condition \( 2ac = ab + bc \) holds true under the constraint given by \( 2p^3 - 9pq + 27r = 0 \). Therefore, we conclude that the roots \( a, b, c \) of the polynomial \( rx^3 - qx^2 + px - 1 = 0 \) are indeed in Harmonic Progression.