JEEsyllabus.

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Theory of Equations
1. An expression of the form f(x) = a0 + a1x + a2x2 + … + anxn, where n is a nonnegative integer and
a0, a1, a2, …,an are complex numbers such that an ≠ 0 is called a polynomial in x of degree n. A
complex number α is said to be a zero of the polynomial f(x) if f(α) = 0.
2. An nth degree polynomial is also represented as f(x) = p0xn + p1xn–1 + p2xn–2 + …+ pn–1x + pn
where p0, p1, p2, …pn are complex numbers and p0 ≠ 0.
3. The polynomial f(x) = xn + p1 xn–1 + p1 xn–2 + …+ pn is called the standard form of n th degree
polynomial.
4. Polynomials of degree 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 are respectively called as a constant, linear, quadratic, cubic,
biquadratic polynomials.
5. Degree of a polynomial f(x) is denoted by deg f(x).
6. If f(x) and g(x) are two polynomials such that deg f(x) = m, deg g(x) = n then deg [f(x) g(x)] =
m+n.
7. Division Algorithm : If f(x), 0 ≠ g(x) are two polynomials, then ∃ polynomicals q(x), r(x)
uniquely such that f(x) = q(x) g(x) + r(x) where r(x) = 0 or deg r(x) < deg g(x).
8. The polynomial q(x) is called quotient and the polynomial r(x) is called remainder of f(x) when
divided by g(x).
9. Remainder Theorem : If f(x) is a polynomial, then the remainder of f(x) when divided by x – a
is f(a).
10. Let f(x), g(x) be two polynomials. Then g(x) is said to divide f(x) or g(x) is said to be a divisor or
factor of f(x) if there exists a polynomial q(x) such that f(x) = q(x) g(x).
11. Factor theorem : If f(x) is a polynomial then f(a)=0 iff (x – a) is a factor of f(x).
12. Taylor’s Theorem : If f(x) is a polynomial function of degree n, then
x x2 xn
f '(h) + f "(h) + ... + f (n ) (h).
f(x + h) = f(h) +
1! 2! n!
13. Horner’s Method : If f(x) is a polynomial function of degree n then
f(x + h) = q0 x n + q1 x n −1 + q2 x n − 2 + ... + qn where
q1, q2, q3, …,qn are the remainders of f(x) when divided by (x – h)n, (x – h)n–1, …, x – h respectively
and q0 = coefficient of xn in f(x).
14. An equation f(x) = 0 is said to be an algebraic equation or a polynomial equation of an equation
of degree n if f(x) is a polynomial of degree n. A complex number α is said to be a root of the
equation f(x) = 0 if f(α) = 0.
15. Fundamental Theorem of Algebra : Every algebraic equation of nonzero degree has a root.
16. The equation having roots α1, α2, …,αn is (x – α1) (x – α2) (x – α3)… (x – αn) = 0.
17. If α1, α2, …,αn are the roots of the equation f(x) = p 0 x n + p1x n−1 + p 2 x n−2 + ... + p n = 0 , then

∑α
p1
1) Sum of the roots = 1 = s1 = −
p0

∑α α
p2
2) Sum of the products of roots taken two at a time = 1 2 = s2 =
p0

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 Theory of Equations

∑α α α
p3
3) Sum of the products of roots taken three at a time = 1 2 3 = s3 = − …….
p0
pn
(−1)n
n) Product of the roots = α1 α2…αn = sn = p0
.

18. If α, β, γ are the roots of ax3 + bx2 + cx + d = 0, then

i) α + β + γ = s1 = –b/a ii) αβ + βγ + γα = s2 = c/a iii) α β γ = s3 = –d/a
19. If α, β, γ, δ are the roots of ax4 +bx3 +cx2 +dx+e =0, then
i) α + β + γ + δ = s1 = –b/a ii) αβ + αγ + αδ + βγ + βδ + γδ = s2 = c/a
iii) αβγ + αβδ + αγδ + βγδ = s3 = –d/a iv) αβγδ = s4 = e/a
20. The equation having roots α, β is x2–(α+β)x+αβ=0 ⇒ x2 – s1x + s2 = 0.
21. The equation having roots, α, β, γ is x3 – (α + β + γ) x2 +(αβ+αγ+βγ)x – (α β γ) = 0 ⇒
x3–s1x2+s2x–s3=0.
22. The equation having roots, α, β, γ, δ is x4 – (α + β + γ + δ)x3 +(αβ + αγ + αδ + βγ + βδ + γδ) x2 –
(αβγ + αβδ + αγδ + βγδ)x + (αβγδ) = 0 ⇒ x4 – s1x3 + s2x2 – s3x + s4 = 0.
23. A root α of an algebraic equation f(x) = 0 is said to be a multiple root of order m if it occurs m
times.
24. A multiple root α of order m of f(x) = 0 is a multiple root of order m – 1 of f′(x) = 0 where f′(x) is
the derivative of f(x).
25. Newton’s Theorem : If α1, α2, …,αn are the roots of xn + p1 xn–1 + p2 xn–2 + …+ pn = 0 and
Sr = α1r + α r2 + ... + α rn then
i) Sr + p1Sr–1 + p2Sr–2+ …+pr–1S1+r.pr =0 when r ≤ n.
ii) Sr + p1Sr–1 + p2Sr–2 +…+pnSr–n = 0 when r > n.
26. Horner’s Theorem : Let α1, α2, …,αn be the roots of f(x) = xn + p1 xn–1 + p2 xn–2 + …+ pn = 0
and Sr = α1r + α r2 + ... + α rn
1 f ' ( x)
i) If r ≥ 0 then Sr is the coefficient of r +1
in when it is expressed in powers of 1/x.
x f (x)
−f ' ( x )
ii) If r < 0, αi ≠ 0 for i = 1, 2, 3, …n then Sr is the coefficient of x −(r +1) in when it is
f (x)
expressed in powers of x.
f ' (x)
27. If r ≥ 0, then S–r = Coefficient of x r −1 in when it is expressed in powers of x.
f (x)
28. If the roots of f(x) = 0 are in H.P. then the roots of f(1/x) = 0 are in A.P.
29. In an equation with real coefficients, imaginary roots occur in conjugate pairs.
30. In an equation with rational coefficients, irrational roots occur in pairs of conjugate surds.
31. In an equation, if all the coefficients are positive, then the equation has no positive root.
32. In an equation, if all the coefficients of the even powers of x are of one type (either positive or
negative) and the coefficients of odd powers of x are of opposite sign, then the equation has no
negative root.
33. In an equation if all the powers of x are odd and all the coefficients are of the same sign, then the
equation has no real root except 0.
34. If f(x) is a polynomial with real coefficients and α > 0 then the number of changes of sign of
(x – α) f(x) is more than the number of changes of sign in f(x).

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 Theory of Equations
35. Descarte’s Rule of Signs : An equation f(x) = 0 can not have more positive roots than there are
changes of sing in f(x) and cannot have more negative roots than there are changes of sign in
f(–x).
36. If f(x) is a polynomial such that f(a) and f(b) have opposite signs then one root of f(x) = 0 must lie
between a and b.
37. The equation whose roots are those of the equation f(x) = 0 with contrary signs is f(–x) = 0.
38. The equation whose roots are the multiples of k (≠0) of those of the proposed equation f(x) = 0 is
f(x/k) = 0.
39. The equation whose roots are the reciprocals of the roots of f(x) = 0 is f(1/x) = 0.
40. The equation whose roots are exceed by h than those of f(x) = 0 is f( x – h) = 0.
41. If f(x) = p0 xn + p1 xn–1 + p2 xn–2 + …+ pn = 0 then to eliminate the second term f(x) = 0 can be
p
transformed to f( y + h) = 0 where h = − 1 .
np0
42. The equation whose roots are the squares of the roots of f(x) = 0 is obtained by eliminating square
root from f ( x ) = 0.
43. The equation whose roots are the cubes of the roots of f(x) = 0 is obtained by eliminating cube
root from f (3 x ) = 0.
44. An equation f(x) = 0 is said to be a reciprocal equation if 1/α is a root of f(x) = 0 whenever α is a
root of f(x) = 0.
45. An equation f(x) = p0 xn + p1 xn–1 + …+ pn = 0 is a reciprocal equation iff either pi = pn–i for every
i, or pi = –pn–i for every i.
46. A reciprocal equation f(x) = p0 xn+p1xn–1 + …+ pn=0 is said to be a reciprocal equation of first
class if pi = pn–i, for all i.
47. A reciprocal equation f(x) = p0 xn+p1xn–1 + …+ pn=0 is said to be a reciprocal equation of second
class if pi = – pn–i, for all i.
48. If f(x) = 0 is a reciprocal equation of degree n, then xn f(1/x) = ±f (x).
49. If f(x) = 0 is a reciprocal equation of first class and odd degree then –1 is a root of f(x) = 0.
50. If f(x) = 0 is a reciprocal equation of second class and of odd degree then 1 is a root of f(x) = 0.
51. If f(x) = 0 is a reciprocal equation of second class and of even degree then 1, –1 are roots of f(x) =
0.
52. The equation of lowest degree with rational coefficients, having a root
i) a + b is x 4 − 2(a + b)x 2 + (a − b) 2 = 0 ii) a + bi is x 4 − 2(a − b)x 2 + (a + b) 2 = 0
53. The condition that the roots of ax3 + bx2 + cx + d=0 may be in
i) A.P. is 2b3 + 27a2d = 9abc
ii) G.P. is ac3 = b3d
iii) H.P. is 2c3 +27ad2 = 9bcd
54. The condition that one root of ax3 + bx2 + cx + d=0 may be the sum of the other two roots is 8a2d
+ b3 = 4abc.
55. The condition that the product of two of the roots of ax3+bx2+cx+d = 0 may be –1 is
a(a+c)+d(b+d) = 0.
56. If α, β, γ are the roots of ax3 + bx2 + cx + d=0 then

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 Theory of Equations
b 2 − 2ac
i) α2 + β2 + γ2 = s12 − 2s 2 =
a2
3abc − b3 − 3a 2 d
ii) α3+β3+γ3 = s13 − 3s1s 2 + 3s3 =
a3
b 4 − 4ab 2 c + 4a 2 bd + 2a 2 c 2
iii) α4 + β4 + γ4 = s14 − 4s12 s 2 + 4s1s 3 + 2s 22 =
a4
iv) α(β + γ) + β(γ + α) + γ(α + β)= 2c/a.
57. If α, β, γ, δ are the roots of ax4+bx3+cx2+dx+e = 0 then
b 2 − 2ac
i) α2 + β2 + γ2 + δ2 = s12 − 2s 2 =
a2
3abc − b3 − 3a 2 d
ii) α +β +γ +δ =
3 3 3 3
s13 –3s1s2+3s2=
a3
b 4 − 4ab 2 c + 4a 2 bd + 2a 2 c 2 − 4a 3e
iii) α4 + β4 + γ4+δ4 = s14 − 4s12 s 2 + 4s1s 3 + 2s 22 − 4s 4 =
a4
iv) Σ α2β = s1s2 – 3s3.
v) Σ α2βγ = s1s3 – 4s4.
58. If α, β, γ are the roots of f(x) = x3 + px2 + qx + r = 0 then the equation having roots
i) β + γ, γ + α, α + β is f(–p –x) = 0.
ii) βγ, γα, αβ is f ⎛⎜ − ⎞⎟ = 0.
r
⎝ x⎠
⎛ r ⎞
iii) β2γ2, γ2α2, α2β2 is f ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ = 0.
⎝ x⎠
⎛ r ⎞
iv) α(β + γ), β(γ + α), γ(α + β) is f ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ = 0.
⎝ x −q⎠
1− r ⎞
, γα + , αβ + is f ⎛⎜
1 1 1
v) βγ + ⎟ = 0.
α β γ ⎝ x ⎠

is f ⎛⎜
1 1 1 rx ⎞
vi) α – ,β– ,γ– ⎟ = 0.
βγ γα αβ ⎝ r + 1⎠