[Math] Finding the equation whose roots are

polynomialsquadratics

Okay I found this one on a test and it must be something really silly I am missing $ \alpha$ is not equal to $\beta$ and $\alpha^2=5\alpha-3,5\beta-3=\beta^2$ then the equation whose roots are $\alpha/\beta$ and $ \beta/\alpha$ is $ (a)3x^2-25+3=0,(b)x^2-5x+3=0,(c)x^2+5x-3=0,(d)3x^2-19x+3=0$ Of course the answer is either a or d I tried solving for $\alpha$ and $\beta$ but the equation became too complicated

Best Answer

HINT:

Method$\#1:$

So, $\alpha, \beta$ are the unequal roots of $$t^2-5t+3=0$$

$$\alpha+\beta=?, \alpha\cdot\beta=?$$

Method$\#2:$

If $a^2=5a-3, b^2=5b-3$

$a^2-b^2=5(a-b)\iff a+b=5$ as $a-b\ne0$

$a^2+b^2=5(a+b)-6,5^2-2ab=5\cdot5-6\iff ab=3$

Now from any one of the above methods,

$$\dfrac\alpha\beta+\dfrac\beta\alpha=\dfrac{\alpha^2+\beta^2}{\alpha\beta}=\dfrac{(\alpha+\beta)^2}{\alpha\beta}-2$$

$$\dfrac\alpha\beta\cdot\dfrac\beta\alpha=1$$

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