ABHAY MAHAJAN

B.Tech. IIT Roorkee

➔ 11+ years teaching experience
➔ Mentored and taught around 20000+ students
➔ Produced 400+ IIT selections
➔ 10+ INMO selections
➔ 1 EGMO Selection
Maximum Marks : 22 Marks
Que no: 1, 2, 3 2 Marks Questions
Que no: 4, 5 3 Marks Questions
Que no: 6, 7 5 Marks Questions
Quadratic
Equations
SMO - 2006 2 Marks

Q1. Suppose that the two roots of the equation

are ⍺ and β. Find the value of ⍺ + β.

SMO - 2006 2 Marks

Q1. Suppose that the two roots of the equation

are ⍺ and β. Find the value of ⍺ + β.

Answer: 10
SMO - 2006 2 Marks

Q1. Suppose that the two roots of the equation

are ⍺ and β. Find the value of ⍺ + β.

Solution:

Let y = x2 – 10x – 29.

Then x2 – 10x – 45 = y – 16, x2 – 10x – 69 = y – 40.
Thus

Therefore y = 10. So y = x2 – 10x – 29 = 10.

Hence x2 – 10x – 39 = 0
Therefore 𝛼 + β = 10
AMC 12 2021 2 Marks

Q2. All the roots of the polynomial

z6 – 10z5 + Az4 + Bz3 + Cz2 + Dz + 16 are positive integers,
possible repeated. What is the value of B?

A. –88

B. –80

C. –64

D. –41
AMC 12 2021 2 Marks

Q2. All the roots of the polynomial

z6 – 10z5 + Az4 + Bz3 + Cz2 + Dz + 16 are positive integers,
possible repeated. What is the value of B?

A. –88

B. –80

C. –64

D. –41
AMC 12 2021 2 Marks

Q2. All the roots of the polynomial

z6 – 10z5 + Az4 + Bz3 + Cz2 + Dz + 16 are positive integers,
possible repeated. What is the value of B?

Solution:
By Vieta’s formulas, the sum of the 6 roots is 10 and the
product of the 6 root is 16. By inspection, we see the
roots are 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, and 2, so the function is
(z – 1)2(z – 2)4 = (z2 – 2z + 1) (z4 – 8z3 + 24z2 – 32 z + 16)
Therefore calculating just the z3 terms, we get
B = – 32 – 48 – 8 = 88
AMC 12A 2012 2 Marks

Q3. Consider the polynomial

The coefficients of x2012 is equal to 2a. What is a?

A. 5

B. 6

C. 7

D. 10
AMC 12A 2012 2 Marks

Q3. Consider the polynomial

The coefficients of x2012 is equal to 2a. What is a?

A. 5

B. 6

C. 7

D. 10
AMC 12A 2012 2 Marks

Q3. Consider the polynomial

The coefficients of x2012 is equal to 2a. What is a?

Solution:
The degree of P(x) is 1024 + 512 + 256 +...+ 1 = 2047.
We want to find the coefficient of x2012,
so we need to omit the powers of 2 that add up to
2047 – 2012 = 35.
We find that 35 = 20 + 21 + 25.
From here, we know that the answer is
20 . 21. 25 = 26.
Therefore, the answer is 6.
PRMO - 2018 3 Marks

Q4. Suppose a, b are integers and a + b is a root of

x2 + ax + b = 0. What is the maximum possible value of b2 ?
PRMO - 2018 3 Marks

Q4. Suppose a, b are integers and a + b is a root of

x2 + ax + b = 0. What is the maximum possible value of b2 ?

Answer: 81
PRMO - 2018 3 Marks

Q4. Suppose a, b are integers and a + b is a root of

x2 + ax + b = 0. What is the maximum possible value of b2 ?

Solution:
If “a + b” is a root then it satisfies the equation
Hence (a + b)2 + a (a + b ) + b = 0
⇒ 2a2 + 3ab + (b2 + b) = 0
Now since “a” is an integer Discriminant is a perfect
square
⇒ 9b2 –8(b2 + b) = p2 for same p ∈ Z
⇒ (b – 4)2 – 16 = p2
⇒ (b – 4 + p) (b – 4 – p) = 16
b – 4 + p = ±8, b – 4 – p = ± 2, b – 4 + p = – 4 – p = ± 4
So b – 4 = 5, –5, 4, –4
⇒ b = 9, –1, 8 , 0 ⇒ (b2)max = 81
AMC 12 2015 3 Marks

Q5. The zeros of the function f(x) = x2 – ax + 2a are

integers. What is the sum of the possible values of a?

A. 7

B. 8

C. 16

D. 17
AMC 12 2015 3 Marks

Q5. The zeros of the function f(x) = x2 – ax + 2a are

integers. What is the sum of the possible values of a?

A. 7

B. 8

C. 16

D. 17
AMC 12 2015 3 Marks

Q5. The zeros of the function f(x) = x2 – ax + 2a are

integers. What is the sum of the possible values of a?
Solution:
The problem asks us to find the
sum of every integer value of a such
that roots of x2 – ax + 2a = 0 are
both integers.
The quadratic formulas gives the
roots of the quadratic equation
As long as the numerator is an even
integer, the roots are both integers.
But first of all the radical term in the
numerator needs to be an integer;
that is, the discriminant a2 – 8a equals
k2, for some nonnegative integer k.
a2 – 8a = k2
a(a – 8) = k2
((a –4) + 4) ((a – 4)– 4) = k2
(a – 4)2 – 42 = k2
(a – 4)2 = k2 + 42
From this last equation, we are given a
hint of the Pythagorean theorem. Thus
(k, 4|a – 4|) must be a Pythagorean
triple unless k = 0
AMC 12 2015 3 Marks

Q5. The zeros of the function f(x) = x2 – ax + 2a are

integers. What is the sum of the possible values of a?

Solution:
In the case k = 0, the equation tirple (k, 4 |a – 4|) because the only
simplifies to |a – 4| = 4. From this Pythagorean triple with a 4 as one of the
equation, we have a = 0, 8 For both values is the classic (3, 4, 5) triple. Here,
a = 0 and K = 3 and |a – 4| = 5. Hence, a = – 1, 9.Again,

yield two integers, so these value
satisfy the constraints from the original
problem statement (Note: the two zero
roots count as “two integer.”)
If k is a positive integer, the only one
Pythagorean triple could match the
yield two integers for both a = –1 and
a = 9, so these two values also satisfy the
original constraints.
There are a two of four possible values
for a –1, 0, 9 and 9. Hence, the sum of all
of the possible values of a is 16
RMO - 2014 5 Marks

Q6. The roots of the equation x3 - 3ax2 + bx + 18c = 0 form

a non-constant arithmetic progression and the roots of
the equation x3 + bx2 + x - c3 = 0 form a non-constant
geometric progression. Given that a, b, c are real
numbers, find all positive integral values a and b.
RMO - 2014 5 Marks

Q6. The roots of the equation x3 - 3ax2 + bx + 18c = 0 form

a non-constant arithmetic progression and the roots of
the equation x3 + bx2 + x - c3 = 0 form a non-constant
geometric progression. Given that a, b, c are real
numbers, find all positive integral values a and b.

Answer: (2, 9)
RMO - 2014 5 Marks

Q6. The roots of the equation x3 - 3ax2 + bx + 18c = 0 form

a non-constant arithmetic progression and the roots of
the equation x3 + bx2 + x - c3 = 0 form a non-constant
geometric progression. Given that a, b, c are real
numbers, find all positive integral values a and b.

Solution:
Let 𝛂 - d, 𝛂, 𝛂 + d (d ≠ 0) be the roots of the first equation and
let 𝛃/r, 𝛃, 𝛃r (r > 0 and r ≠ 1) be the roots of the second
equation. It follows that 𝛂 = a, 𝛃 = c and
a3 - ad2 = –18c, 3a2 – d2 = b. (1)
(2)
Eliminating d, r and c yields
ab2 - 2a3b - 18 = 0, (3)
RMO - 2014 5 Marks

Q6. The roots of the equation x3 - 3ax2 + bx + 18c = 0 form

a non-constant arithmetic progression and the roots of
the equation x3 + bx2 + x - c3 = 0 form a non-constant
geometric progression. Given that a, b, c are real
numbers, find all positive integral values a and b.

Solution:
where
For positive integral values of a and b it must be that
a6 + 18a is a perfect square.
Let x2 = a6 + 18a. Then a3 < x2 < a3 + 1 for a > 2 and
hence no solution. For a = 1, there is no solution.
For a = 2, x = 10 and b = 9. Thus the admissible pair is
(a, b) = (2, 9).
Home Work
Sawaal
USAMO - 1984 5 Marks

Q7. In the polynomial x4– 18 x3 + kx2 + 200x – 1984 = 0,

the product of 2 of its roots is – 32, Find k.
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USAMO - 1984 5 Marks

Q7. In the polynomial x4– 18 x3 + kx2 + 200x – 1984 = 0,

the product of 2 of its roots is – 32, Find k.

Answer: 86
USAMO - 1984 5 Marks

Q7. In the polynomial x4– 18 x3 + kx2 + 200x – 1984 =

0, the product of 2 of its roots is – 32, Find k.
Solution:
Using Vieta’s formulas, we have –32 + ac + ad + bc + bd + 62 = k, and so
a + b + c + d = 18, ac + ad + bc + bd = k – 30.
ab + ac + ad + bc + bd + cd = k, The key insight is now to factor the left-
abc + abd + acd + bcd = –200 hand side as a product of two binomials:
abcd = – 1984 (a + b) (c + d ) = k – 30,
From the last of these equation, so that we now only need to determine a
we see that + b and c + d rather than all four of
a, b, c, d.
Let p = a + b and q = c + d.
Plugging our know value for ab and cd
Thus, the second equation becomes into the third Vieta equation.
USAMO - 1984 5 Marks

Q7. In the polynomial x4– 18 x3 + kx2 + 200x – 1984 =

0, the product of 2 of its roots is – 32, Find k.

Solution:
–200 = abc + abd + acd + bcd = ab (c + d) + cd (a + b),
We have – 200 = –32 (c + d) + 62(a + b) = 62p – 32q.
Moreover, the first Vieta equation a + b + c + d = 18,
gives p + q = 18.
Thus we have two linear equations in p and q, which we
solve to obtain p = 4 and q = 14.
Therefore we have

yielding k = 4. 14 + 30 = 86