Cubic and Higher-Degree Equations
Finding one root, dividing it out, and finishing with the quadratic that remains - plus what to do when the cubic has no rational root.
Every page in the KEVOS library tagged roots. 9 pages.
Finding one root, dividing it out, and finishing with the quadratic that remains - plus what to do when the cubic has no rational root.
Why x1/2 must mean sqrt(x), how n-th roots and fractional powers are the same thing, when a root is not a real number, and why (x6)1/2 is abs{x3} rather than x3.
The formula that solves every quadratic, what b2 - 4ac tells you before you compute anything, and the three cases it distinguishes.
Why the remainder on dividing by x - a is exactly f(a), how that turns into a factor test, and how the two together factor a cubic without guesswork.
Handbook guide to complex numbers, roots of unity, with definitions, key results, methods, verification checks and worked examples.
Handbook guide to polynomial rings: division, roots and interpolation with core definitions, structural results, reasoning methods and verification checks.
Handbook guide to quadratic equations by square roots and the quadratic formula, with rules, worked examples, verification, common errors and practical.
Use the quadratic formula for ax²+bx+c=0, identify coefficients correctly, simplify the discriminant and interpret resulting roots.
Solve quadratic equations by arranging them equal to zero, factoring completely and applying the zero-product property.