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Ch. 3 - Polynomial and Rational Functions
Chapter 4, Problem 93

Determine the different possibilities for the numbers of positive, negative, and nonreal complex zeros of each function. See Example 7. ƒ(x)=7x^5+6x^4+2x^3+9x^2+x+5

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Step 1: Identify the degree of the polynomial. The degree of the polynomial \( f(x) = 7x^5 + 6x^4 + 2x^3 + 9x^2 + x + 5 \) is 5, which means there are 5 zeros in total.
Step 2: Use Descartes' Rule of Signs to determine the possible number of positive real zeros. Count the number of sign changes in \( f(x) \).
Step 3: Apply Descartes' Rule of Signs to determine the possible number of negative real zeros. Substitute \( x \) with \( -x \) in \( f(x) \) and count the sign changes.
Step 4: Calculate the possible number of nonreal complex zeros. Remember that nonreal complex zeros occur in conjugate pairs, so the number of nonreal zeros must be even.
Step 5: List all possible combinations of positive, negative, and nonreal complex zeros that add up to the total number of zeros, which is 5.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Fundamental Theorem of Algebra

The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra states that every non-constant polynomial function of degree n has exactly n roots in the complex number system, counting multiplicities. This means that for the polynomial given, which is of degree 5, there will be a total of 5 roots, which can be real or complex.
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Descarte's Rule of Signs

Descarte's Rule of Signs provides a method to determine the number of positive and negative real roots of a polynomial by analyzing the sign changes in the coefficients. For positive roots, count the sign changes in f(x), and for negative roots, count the sign changes in f(-x). This helps in predicting the nature of the roots.
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Complex Conjugate Root Theorem

The Complex Conjugate Root Theorem states that if a polynomial has real coefficients, any nonreal complex roots must occur in conjugate pairs. This means that if a polynomial has a nonreal root a + bi, it must also have a corresponding root a - bi, which is essential for determining the total number of real and complex roots.
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