Math Problem Statement

Prove that the sum of 99th powers of all the roots of x^7 - 1 = 0 is zero.

Solution

The question asks to prove that the sum of the 99th powers of all the roots of x71=0x^7 - 1 = 0 is zero. Let's break it down:

Step-by-Step Solution:

  1. Roots of the Equation: The equation x71=0x^7 - 1 = 0 can be rewritten as x7=1x^7 = 1. The solutions to this are the 7th roots of unity. These roots are given by:

    ωk=e2πik/7, for k=0,1,2,...,6\omega_k = e^{2\pi ik/7}, \text{ for } k = 0, 1, 2, ..., 6 where ω0=1\omega_0 = 1, and the other roots are complex numbers on the unit circle in the complex plane.

  2. General Form of the Roots: The 7th roots of unity are: ω0=1,ω1=e2πi/7,ω2=e4πi/7,,ω6=e12πi/7\omega^0 = 1, \quad \omega^1 = e^{2\pi i/7}, \quad \omega^2 = e^{4\pi i/7}, \quad \dots, \quad \omega^6 = e^{12\pi i/7} These are distinct and symmetrically placed on the unit circle.

  3. 99th Power of the Roots: We are asked to find the sum of the 99th powers of these roots. For each kk, we need to compute ωk99\omega_k^{99}.

    Since ωk7=1\omega_k^7 = 1, we can reduce the exponent 9999 modulo 77: 99mod7=199 \mod 7 = 1 Thus, ωk99=ωk1=ωk\omega_k^{99} = \omega_k^1 = \omega_k.

  4. Summing the 99th Powers: Therefore, the sum of the 99th powers of the roots is equivalent to the sum of the roots themselves: k=06ωk99=k=06ωk\sum_{k=0}^{6} \omega_k^{99} = \sum_{k=0}^{6} \omega_k

  5. Sum of the Roots of Unity: The sum of all 7th roots of unity is well known to be zero. This is because the 7th roots of unity form a regular polygon in the complex plane, and their sum (as vectors) cancels out to zero: k=06ωk=0\sum_{k=0}^{6} \omega_k = 0

Conclusion:

Thus, the sum of the 99th powers of all the roots of x71=0x^7 - 1 = 0 is:

0\boxed{0}

Let me know if you would like more details or clarifications!


Here are 5 related questions:

  1. What is the general formula for the sum of the nth roots of unity?
  2. How do the powers of complex numbers behave on the unit circle?
  3. Can the sum of roots of any polynomial equation always be zero?
  4. How are roots of unity used in Fourier transforms or signal processing?
  5. What happens if we change the exponent from 99 to another value?

Tip: Roots of unity are periodic, meaning powers of these roots repeat in cycles, which simplifies exponentiation significantly when dealing with large powers.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Algebra
Complex Numbers
Roots of Unity
Modular Arithmetic

Formulas

Roots of unity: ω_k = e^(2πik/n)
Modular arithmetic: a^b mod n
Sum of n-th roots of unity = 0

Theorems

Roots of Unity Theorem
Sum of Roots of Unity

Suitable Grade Level

Grade 12 or College-Level Mathematics