Algebra · real student question

Solve x^5 + 30x^4 + 75x^3 - 3250x^2 - 15000x = 0.

Question

Solve

x5+30x4+75x33250x215000x=0x^5+30x^4+75x^3-3250x^2-15000x=0

Step-by-step solution

  1. Take out the obvious common factor. Every term contains xx:

    x(x4+30x3+75x23250x15000)=0x\left(x^4+30x^3+75x^2-3250x-15000\right)=0

    so x=0x=0 is a root immediately, and the remaining work is a quartic.

  2. Search the divisors of 15000 for an integer root. Testing x=10x=10 in the quartic:

    10000+30000+75003250015000=0  10000+30000+7500-32500-15000=0\;\checkmark

    so (x10)(x-10) is a factor. Testing is cheap and decisive; guessing large roots such as ±25\pm 25 without evaluating is exactly how wrong factorizations get published.

  3. Divide and keep factoring. Synthetic division of the quartic by x10x-10 leaves

    x3+40x2+475x+1500x^3+40x^2+475x+1500

    and x=5x=-5 satisfies this cubic: 125+10002375+1500=0  -125+1000-2375+1500=0\;\checkmark. Dividing again by x+5x+5 gives the quadratic

    x2+35x+300x^2+35x+300

  4. Factor the final quadratic. Two numbers with product 300300 and sum 3535 are 1515 and 2020:

    x2+35x+300=(x+15)(x+20)x^2+35x+300=(x+15)(x+20)

    so the complete factorization is

    x5+30x4+75x33250x215000x=x(x10)(x+5)(x+15)(x+20)x^5+30x^4+75x^3-3250x^2-15000x=x(x-10)(x+5)(x+15)(x+20)

  5. List the roots and verify them all.

    x=0,  10,  5,  15,  20x=0,\;10,\;-5,\;-15,\;-20

    Two independent checks confirm the set. Vieta: the roots must sum to 30-30, and 0+1051520=30  0+10-5-15-20=-30\;\checkmark; the product of the four nonzero roots must equal the quartic’s constant 15000-15000 divided by nothing, and 10(5)(15)(20)=15000  10\cdot(-5)\cdot(-15)\cdot(-20)=-15000\;\checkmark. Numerically solving the quintic returns exactly 10,20,15,5,010,-20,-15,-5,0 as well.

Answer

x=0,  10,  5,  15,  20[x(x10)(x+5)(x+15)(x+20)=0]x=0,\;10,\;-5,\;-15,\;-20\qquad\left[x(x-10)(x+5)(x+15)(x+20)=0\right]

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