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Upper and Lower Bounds For Roots

The document discusses three key topics: 1) The Upper and Lower Bound Theorem, which provides rational number bounds for the real roots of a polynomial equation. 2) The Intermediate Value Theorem, which states that if a polynomial function has opposite signs at two values, it must have a real root between them. 3) The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra and Linear Factorization Theorem, which state that an nth degree polynomial will have n complex roots and can be written as the product of n linear factors.

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36 views

Upper and Lower Bounds For Roots

The document discusses three key topics: 1) The Upper and Lower Bound Theorem, which provides rational number bounds for the real roots of a polynomial equation. 2) The Intermediate Value Theorem, which states that if a polynomial function has opposite signs at two values, it must have a real root between them. 3) The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra and Linear Factorization Theorem, which state that an nth degree polynomial will have n complex roots and can be written as the product of n linear factors.

Uploaded by

utp
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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3.

5: More on Zeros of Polynomial Functions

Upper and Lower Bounds for Roots


The Upper and Lower Bound Theorem helps us rule out many of a
polynomial equation's possible rational roots.

The Upper and Lower Bound Theorem


Let f (x) be a polynomial with real coefficients and a positive leading
coefficient, and let a and b be nonzero real numbers.
1. Divide f (x) by x  b (where b  0) using synthetic division. If the last row
containing the quotient and remainder has no negative numbers, then b is
an upper bound for the real roots of f (x)  0.
2. Divide f (x) by x  a (where a  0) using synthetic division. If the last
row containing the quotient and remainder has numbers that alternate in sign
(zero entries count as positive or negative), then a is a lower bound for
the real roots of f (x)  0.
3.5: More on Zeros of Polynomial Functions

EXAMPLE: Finding Bounds for the Roots


Show that all the real roots of the equation 8x3  10x2 39x + 9  0 lie
between –3 and 2.
Solution We begin by showing that 2 is an upper bound. Divide the
polynomial by x  2. If all the numbers in the bottom row of the synthetic
division are non­negative, then 2 is an upper bound .

2 8 10 39 9
All numbers in this row
16 52 26 are nonnegative.
8 26 13 35

more
3.5: More on Zeros of Polynomial Functions

EXAMPLE: Finding Bounds for the Roots


Show that all the real roots of the equation 8x3  10x2 39x + 9  0 lie
between –3 and 2.
Solution The nonnegative entries in the last row verify that 2 is an upper
bound. Next, we show that 3 is a lower bound. Divide the polynomial by x 
(3), or x  3. If the numbers in the bottom row of the synthetic division
alternate in sign, then 3 is a lower bound. Remember that the number zero
can be considered positive or negative.

3 8 10 39 9 Counting zero as


negative, the signs
24 42 9 alternate: , , , .
8 -14 3 0
By the Upper and Lower Bound Theorem, the alternating signs in the last row
indicate that 3 is a lower bound for the roots. (The zero remainder indicates
that 3 is also a root.)
3.5: More on Zeros of Polynomial Functions

The Intermediate Value Theorem


The Intermediate Value Theorem for Polynomials
Let f (x) be a polynomial function with real coefficients. If f (a) and f (b) have
opposite signs, then there is at least one value of c between a and b for which
f (c) = 0. Equivalently, the equation f (x)  0 has at least one real root between
a and b.
3.5: More on Zeros of Polynomial Functions

EXAMPLE: Approximating a Real Zero


a. Show that the polynomial function f (x)  x3  2x  5 has a real zero
between 2 and 3.
b. Use the Intermediate Value Theorem to find an approximation for this
real zero to the nearest tenth

Solution
a. Let us evaluate f (x) at 2 and 3. If f (2) and f (3) have opposite signs, then
there is a real zero between 2 and 3. Using f (x)  x3  2x  5, we obtain
f (2)  23  2  2  5  8  4  5 1
f (2) is negative.
and
f (3) is positive.
f (3)  33  2  3  5  27  6  5 16.
This sign change shows that the polynomial function has a real zero
between 2 and 3.
3.5: More on Zeros of Polynomial Functions

EXAMPLE: Approximating a Real Zero


a. Show that the polynomial function f (x)  x3  2x  5 has a real zero
between 2 and 3.
b. Use the Intermediate Value Theorem to find an approximation for this
real zero to the nearest tenth

Solution
b. A numerical approach is to evaluate f at successive tenths between 2 and
3, looking for a sign change. This sign change will place the real zero
between a pair of successive tenths.

x f (x)  x3  2x  5
Sign change
2 f (2)  23  2(2)  5  1
Sign change
2.1 f (2.1)  (2.1)3  2(2.1)  5  0.061

The sign change indicates that f has a real zero between 2 and 2.1.
more
3.5: More on Zeros of Polynomial Functions

EXAMPLE: Approximating a Real Zero


a. Show that the polynomial function f (x)  x3  2x  5 has a real zero
between 2 and 3.
b. Use the Intermediate Value Theorem to find an approximation for this
real zero to the nearest tenth
Solution
b. We now follow a similar procedure to locate the real zero between
successive hundredths. We divide the interval [2, 2.1] into ten equal sub-
intervals. Then we evaluate f at each endpoint and look for a sign change.

f (2.00) 1 f (2.04) 0.590336 f (2.08) 0.161088


f (2.01) 0.899399 f (2.05) 0.484875 f (2.09) 0.050671
Sign change
f (2.02) 0.797592 f (2.06) 0.378184 f (2.1)  0.061
f (2.03) 0.694573 f (2.07) 0.270257

The sign change indicates that f has a real zero between 2.09 and 2.1.
Correct to the nearest tenth, the zero is 2.1.
3.5: More on Zeros of Polynomial Functions

The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra


We have seen that if a polynomial equation is of degree n, then counting
multiple roots separately, the equation has n roots. This result is called the
Fundamental Theorem of Algebra.

The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra


If f (x) is a polynomial of degree n, where n  1, then the equation f (x)  0 has
at least one complex root.
3.5: More on Zeros of Polynomial Functions

The Linear Factorization Theorem


Just as an nth-degree polynomial equation has n roots, an nth-degree
polynomial has n linear factors. This is formally stated as the Linear
Factorization Theorem.

The Linear Factorization Theorem


If f (x)  annxnn  an1
n1
x n1 …
n1
…  a1x  a0 b, where n  1 and an  0 , then
1 0 n

f (x)  ann (x  c11) (x  c22) …


… (x  cn)
n

where c11, c22,…, cnn are complex numbers (possibly real and not necessarily
distinct). In words: An nth-degree polynomial can be expressed as the product
of n linear factors.
3.5: More on Zeros of Polynomial Functions

EXAMPLE: Finding a Polynomial


Function with Given Zeros
Find a fourth-degree polynomial function f (x) with real coefficients that has
2, and i as zeros and such that f (3) 150.
Solution Because i is a zero and the polynomial has real coefficients, the
conjugate must also be a zero. We can now use the Linear Factorization
Theorem.
f (x)  an(x  c1)(x  c2)(x  c3)(x  c4) This is the linear factorization for a fourth-
degree polynomial.

 an(x  2)(x 2)(x  i)(x  i) Use the given zeros: c1 2, c2  2, c3  i,


and, from above, c4 i.
 an(x2  4)(x2  i) Multiply

f (x)  an(x4  3x2  4) Complete the multiplication

more
3.5: More on Zeros of Polynomial Functions

EXAMPLE: Finding a Polynomial


Function with Given Zeros
Find a fourth-degree polynomial function f (x) with real coefficients that has
2, and i as zeros and such that f (3) 150.
Solution
f (3)  an(34  3  32  4) 150 To find an, use the fact that f (3) 150.
an(81  27  4) 150 Solve for an.
50an 150
an 3
Substituting 3 for an in the formula for f (x), we obtain
f (x) 3(x4  3x2  4).
Equivalently,
f (x) 3x4  9x2  12.

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