Precalculus: Mathematics for Calculus, 7th Edition

Published by Brooks Cole
ISBN 10: 1305071751
ISBN 13: 978-1-30507-175-9

Chapter 3 - Section 3.4 - Real Zeros of Polynomials - 3.4 Exercises - Page 284: 86

Answer

$-2,1,\frac{3}{4},\frac{2\pm\sqrt 2}{2}$

Work Step by Step

1. List possible rational zeros: $\pm1,\pm1/2,\pm1/4,,\pm1/8,\pm2,\pm3,\pm3/2,\pm3/4,\pm3/8,\pm6$ 2. Use synthetic division or remainder theorem to test with some easy values $\pm1,\pm2,\pm3,\pm6$ and we can find two zeros $x=-2, 1$ 3. Use Descartes' Rule, we know that there should be 2 positive rational zeros. 4. Test positive fractions like $1/2,1/4,1/8,3/2,3/4,3/8$ we can find $x=3/4$ is a zero. 5. Use synthetic division to reduce P down to linear and quadratic terms $P(x)=(x+2)(x-1)(4x-3)(2x^2-4x+1)$ 6. Find all the zeros as $-2,1,\frac{3}{4},\frac{2\pm\sqrt 2}{2}$
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