Math Problem Statement

Suppose k is any integer such that the equation 2x^2 + kx + 5 = 0 has no real roots and the equation x^2 + (k - 5)x + 1 = 0 has two distinct real roots for x. Then, the number of possible values of k is?

Solution

Let's analyze the problem step by step:

Step 1: Analyze the first equation

The first equation is: 2x2+kx+5=02x^2 + kx + 5 = 0 It is given that this equation has no real roots. For a quadratic equation ax2+bx+c=0ax^2 + bx + c = 0, the condition for having no real roots is that its discriminant must be negative. The discriminant Δ\Delta is given by: Δ=b24ac\Delta = b^2 - 4ac For the given equation:

  • a=2a = 2
  • b=kb = k
  • c=5c = 5

So the discriminant is: Δ=k24(2)(5)=k240\Delta = k^2 - 4(2)(5) = k^2 - 40 For the equation to have no real roots, we require: k240<0k^2 - 40 < 0 This simplifies to: k2<40k^2 < 40 Taking the square root on both sides: 40<k<40-\sqrt{40} < k < \sqrt{40} Since kk is an integer, we consider the integer values within this range. The square root of 40 is approximately 6.32, so: 6<k<6-6 < k < 6 Thus, kk can take integer values from 6-6 to 55 inclusive.

Step 2: Analyze the second equation

The second equation is: x2+(k5)x+1=0x^2 + (k-5)x + 1 = 0 It is given that this equation has two distinct real roots. For a quadratic equation to have two distinct real roots, the discriminant must be positive. The discriminant for this equation is: Δ=(k5)24(1)(1)=(k5)24\Delta = (k-5)^2 - 4(1)(1) = (k-5)^2 - 4 For the equation to have two distinct real roots, we require: (k5)24>0(k-5)^2 - 4 > 0 This simplifies to: (k5)2>4(k-5)^2 > 4 Taking the square root: k5>2|k-5| > 2 This leads to two possible cases:

  1. k5>2k - 5 > 2 which simplifies to k>7k > 7
  2. k5<2k - 5 < -2 which simplifies to k<3k < 3

So, kk must either be k>7k > 7 or k<3k < 3.

Step 3: Combine the conditions from both equations

From Step 1, kk is between 6-6 and 55 inclusive. From Step 2, kk must be either k<3k < 3 or k>7k > 7.

Combining these conditions:

  • kk values satisfying both conditions are those where k<3k < 3.
  • kk can therefore take the values 6,5,4,3,2,1,0,1,2-6, -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2.

Thus, there are 9 possible values for kk that satisfy both conditions.

Answer:

The number of possible values of kk is 9.

Would you like more details on any specific part of this solution?

Here are 5 related questions you might be interested in:

  1. How do we derive the formula for the discriminant of a quadratic equation?
  2. What are the implications of having a discriminant equal to zero?
  3. Can we have an equation with complex roots if the discriminant is positive?
  4. How would the solution change if the second equation was required to have a double root?
  5. How does the range of values for kk change if we alter the coefficients of the quadratic equations?

Tip: Understanding how the discriminant affects the nature of the roots is crucial in solving quadratic equations.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Algebra
Quadratic Equations
Discriminants

Formulas

Quadratic equation formula: ax^2 + bx + c = 0
Discriminant formula: Δ = b^2 - 4ac

Theorems

The discriminant of a quadratic equation determines the nature of its roots

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 9-12