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IOQM 2025
Algebra (Polynomial & Quadratic Equation) DPP-08

1. Let Q is the sum of the fifth powers of the roots 6. Let P is the product of all the roots of the equation
of the equation x4 + 7x2 + 4x – 3 = 0. 5 x + 8 = x 2 −16. Find |P|.
Find Q + 140.

7. Find the smallest positive integer n with the

2. Let a and b be the roots of the equation
property that the polynomial x4 – nx + 63 can be
1 1
x2 – mx + 2 = 0. Suppose that a + and b + written as a product of two nonconstant
b a
polynomials with integer coefficients.
are the roots of the equation x – px + q = 0. If q is
2

m
in the form of (where m & n are co-prime) find 8. Find 3x2y2 – 500 if x and y are integers such that
n
y2 + 3x2y2 = 30x2 + 517.
m + n?

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

3. What is the product of the real roots of the
integers. What is the sum of the possible values of
equation x2 + 18x + 30 = 2 x2 + 18x + 45 ? a?

4. For how many real numbers a does the quadratic 10. If kn + 54k + 2n + 108 has a remainder of 4 when
equation x2 + ax + 6a = 0 have only integer roots for divided by 5 and k has a remainder of 1 when
x.? divided by 5, find the value of the remainder of
when n is divided by 5.
5. Real numbers r and s are roots of p(x) = x3 + ax + b,
and r + 4 and s – 3 are roots of q(x) = x3 + ax + b + 240.
Let P be the sum of all possible values of |b|.
Find P – 400.

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Answer Key
DPP-08
1. (00) 3. (20)
Given equation is We begin by noticing that the polynomial on the
x4 – 7x2 + 4x – 3 = 0…1 left is 15 less than the polynomial under the
Let f(x) = x4 – 7x2 + 4x – 3 radical sign. Thus:
f '(x) = 4x3 – 14x + 4
We know if a, b, c, …,k are the roots of the (x 2 + 18x + 45) − 2 x 2 + 18x + 45 − 15 = 0.
equation gx = 0, then Letting n = x2 + 18x + 45 , we have n2 – 2n – 15
gx 1 1 1 1
= + + ++ = 0  (n – 5)(n + 3) = 0. Because the square root
gx x − a x − b x − c x−k
of a real number can't be negative, the only
Hence, possible n is 5. Substituting that in, we have
f (x) 1 1 1 1
= + + + x2 + 18x + 45 = 5  x2 + 18x + 45 = 25
f ( x ) ( x −  ) ( x − ) ( x −  ) ( x −  )
[where , , ,  are roots of 1] ( )
 x 2 + 18x + 20 = 0. log x2 +6x +8 log2x 2 +2x +3 ( x 2 − 2x ) = 0

1 a a 2 a3 a 4 a5 Reasoning as in Solution 1, the product of the

=  + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 
x x x x x x roots is 020.
4 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5
= + 2 + 2 + 4 + 5 + 6 +2 4. (10)
x x x x x x
By Vieta's formulas, x1 + x2 = –a where x1, x2 are
where S1 =  +  +  + , S2 = 2 + 2 +  2 + 2
the roots of the quadratic, and since x1, x2 are
and soon.
integers, a must be an integer. Applying the
 By 2, 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = S5
1 −a  a 2 − 24a
= coefficient of 6 on L.H.S. of 2 quadratic formula, x = Since –a
x 2
is an integer, we need a 2 − 24a to be an integer
(let this be b): b2 = a2 – 24a. Completing the
square, we get (a – 12)2 = b2 + 144 Which implies
that b2 + 144 is a perfect square also (let this be c2).
f (x) Then c2 – b2 = 144  (c + b)(c – b) = 144.
4x3 − 14x + 4
L.H.S. = 4 and this can be
f ( x ) x − 7x 2 + 4x − 3
The pairs of factors of 144 are (±1, ±144),
(±2, ±72), (±3, ±48), (±4, ±36), (±6, ±24),
calculated easily by synthetic division as follows:
(±8, ±18), (±9, ±16), (±12, ±12) ; since c is the
f (x) 4 14 12 110 140
Hence + = − + − 6 .... average of each respective pair and is also an
f (x) x x 2 x 4 x 4 x
integer, the pairs that work must have the same
Hence S5 = –140
parity. Thus we get 10 pairs (counting positive
i.e., 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = −140 . and negative) of factors that work, and
substituting them backwards show that they all
2. (11) work.
In a quadratic equation of the form x2 + bx + c = 0,
the product of the roots is c (Vieta's Formulas). 5. (20)
Using this property, we have that ab = 2 and Because the coefficient of x2 in both p(x) and q(x)
 1  1  ab + 1 ab + 1 is 0, the remaining root of p(x) is – (r + s), and the
q = a + b +  = 
 b   a b a remaining root of q(x) is – (r + s + 1). The
(ab + 1)2 (2 + 1)2 9 coefficients of x in p(x) and q(x) are both equal to
= = = a, and equating the two coefficients gives
ab 2 2
Notice the fact that we never actually found the rs − (r + s)2 = (r + 4)(s − 3) − (r + s + 1) 2 from
roots.

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1 8. (88)
which s = (5r + 13). The product of the roots of
2 If we move the x2 term to the left side, it is
p(x) differs from that of q(x) by 240, so factorable with Simon's Favorite Factoring Trick:
(3x2 + 1)(y2 – 10) = 517 – 10, 507 is equal to
1 1 1 1
(r + 4)  (5r + 7)  (7r + 15) − r  (5r + 13)  (7r + 13) 3·132. Since x and y are integers, 3x2 + 1 cannot
2 2 2 2
equal a multiple of three. 169 doesn't work either,
= 240 from which r2 + 4r – 5 = 0, with roots r = 1 so 3x2 + 1 = 13, and x2 = 4.
and r = –5. If r = 1, then the roots of p(x) are This leaves y2 – 10 = 39, so y2 = 49.
r = 1, s = 9, and –(r + s) = –10, and b = –rst = 90. Thus, 3x2y2 = 3 × 4 × 49 = 588.
If r = –5, then the roots of p(x) are r = –5, s = –6,
and – (r + s) = 11, and b = – rst = –330. Therefore 9. (16)
the requested sum is |–330| + |90| = 420. By Vieta's Formula, a is the sum of the integral
zeros of the function, and so a is integral.
6. (64) Because the zeros are integral, the discriminant of
Square both sides, to get 5|x| + 8 = x2 – 16. the function, a2 – 8a, is a perfect square, say k2.
Rearrange to get x2 – 5|x| – 24 = 0. Seeing that Then adding 16 to both sides and completing the
x2 = |x|2, substitute to get |x|2 – 5|x| – 24 = 0. We square yields (a – 4)2 = k2 + 16. Therefore
see that this is a quadratic in |x|. Factoring, we get
(a – 4)2 – k2 = 16 and ((a – 4) – k)((a – 4) + k) =
(|x| – 8)(|x| + 3) = 0, so |x| = {8, –3}. Since the
radicand of the equation can't be negative, the sole 16. Let (a – 4) – k = u and (a – 4) + k = v; then,
solution is |x| = 8. Therefore, x can be 8 or –8. The u+v u+v
a−4= and so a = + 4 . Listing all
product is then –8 × 8 = –64. 2 2
possible (u, v) pairs (not counting transpositions
7. (08) because this does not affect (u + v), (2, 8), (4, 4),
You can factor the polynomial into two quadratic (–2, –8), (–4, –4), yields a = 9, 8, –10. These a
factors or a linear and a cubic factor. sum to 16, so our answer is 16.
For two quadratic factors, let x2 + ax + b and
x2 + cx + d be the two quadratics, so that 10. (04)
(x2 + ax + b)(x2 + cx + d) = x4 + (a + c)x3 + Note that kn + 54k + 2n + 108 can be factored into
(b + d + ac)x2 + (ad + bc)x + bc. Therefore, again (k + 2)(n + 54)using Simon's Favorite Factoring
setting coefficients equal, Trick. Now, look at n. Then, since the problem
tells us that k has a remainder of 1 when divided
a + c = 0  a = −c,b + d + ac = 0
by 5 , we see that the (k + 2) factor in the (k + 2)
 b + d = a 2 ,ad + bc = −n , and so bd = 63. Since (n + 54) expression has a remainder of 3 when
b + d = a2, the only possible values for (b, d) are divided by 5. Now, the (n + 54) must have a
remainder of 3 when divided by 5 as well
(1, 63) and (7, 9). From this we find that the
(because then the main expression has a
possible values for n are ±8·62 and ±4·2. For the remainder of 4 when divided by 5). Therefore,
case of one linear and one cubic factor, doing a since 54 has a remainder of 4 when divided by 5,
similar expansion and matching of the n must have a remainder of 4, so that the entire
coefficients gives the smallest n in that case to be factor has a remainder of 3 when divided by 5.
48. Therefore, the answer is 4·2 = 008.

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