Investigation on the Roots of Polynomials

1. Let’s review by finding the roots of quadratic functions. Look at the graph of . Use completing the square or the quadratic formula to verify the solutions you found on the graph.

2. Now, we will try to find roots of polynomials of larger degrees. Let’s start with the cubic polynomial . Let’s look at a graph of that polynomial. In particular, we are looking at the instances for which the graph of the polynomial crosses the x-axis.

1. Where does the graph of the polynomial cross the x-axis?

2. Notice that the two roots of the quadratic polynomial also appear as two of the roots of this polynomial. If you divide by , what do you get?

3. What do you notice about the answer from b and the last remaining root of this polynomial?

4. How can you express the polynomial as the product of three linear functions?

5. Does this also show that there are three roots to this polynomial and where those three roots are?

3. Let’s try another cubic polynomial that we do not know any of the roots beforehand. Let’s look at the cubic polynomial . Let us also look at the graph of the function. It might be the case that we have to move our axes in the picture to see where the graph of the polynomial crosses the x-axis.

1. According to the graph, how many times does it appear the graph of the polynomial cross the x-axis?

2. Where does it appear that the graph of the polynomial crosses the x-axis?

3. Pick one of the times the graph crosses the x-axis. Convert the root to a linear function. Divide the linear function into the cubic polynomial. What polynomial do you get as a result?

4. Can you factor the remaining polynomial? If so, factor the remaining polynomial. If not, repeat question c.

5. Do your final factors match the values where the graph crosses the x-axis?

4. Let’s try one more cubic polynomial. Determine the graph of the polynomial using available technology.
1. Sketch the resulting graph below.

2. How many times does the graph cross the x-axis?

3. Where does the graph cross the x-axis?

4. Pick one of the factors and convert to a linear function. Divide this function into the cubic polynomial. What do you get as a result?

5. Can you factor the remaining polynomial? If so, what are the factors? If not, repeat step d.

6. Do the linear functions match the places where the graph crosses the x-axis?

5. Let’s move on to fourth degree polynomials and investigate briefly. Let’s look at the graph of the polynomial , which can be factored as .
1. Does your graph look like the Graphing Calculator output that I have below? Remember, I am most interested where the graph of the polynomial crosses the x-axis.

2. How many times does the graph cross the x-axis?

3. Where does the graph cross the x-axis?

4. Do the answers from part c match the roots of each factor of the polynomial?

6. Let’s try a different looking fourth degree polynomial with a different look. Let’s look at the fourth degree polynomial , which factors as .
1. Graph the original polynomial using available technology. Does it match this output from Graphing Calculator?

2. How many times does the graph intersect the x-axis?

3. Where does that happen?

4. How many different factors are there to this polynomial?

5. Do you see the connection between parts b and d?

7. Let’s try to look at the fourth degree polynomial that is not factored and try to make the same connections. The polynomial we are investigating for this problem is .
1. What is the degree of the polynomial?

2. What does the degree say about the greatest number of roots in the polynomial?

3. Using available graphing technology, graph this polynomial. Remember that the part of the graph that matters is where the graph crosses the x-axis. Make a sketch of the graph below.

4. How many times does the graph seem to cross x-axis?

5. Where does it seem that the graph crosses the x-axis?

6. Select one of those supposed factors and convert that into a linear function. What do you get when you divide the linear function into the original polynomial?

7. Find another root. Convert that into a linear function as well. Divide that function into the remainder polynomial. What do you get now?

8. Can you factor this polynomial? If so, factor what is left. If not, repeat step f.

9. Do the roots of the linear factors match the roots from your graph?

8. Let’s try the same approach for a different fourth degree polynomial. For this problem, the quartic polynomial we are looking at is .
1. Using available graphing technology, graph this polynomial. Sketch the graph of your polynomial below.

2. How many times does the graph cross the x-axis?

3. Where does it seem that the graph cross the x-axis? If might be the case that you have to do some estimating.

4. Find one of the roots of the function. Convert that root into a linear function. Divide that linear function into the original polynomial. What do you get?

5. Select another root and perform step d again.

6. Can you factor this remaining polynomial? If so, factor what is remaining. If not, perform step d again.

7. Do the roots you saw match your factors?

9. There will be more fourth degree polynomial we will look at: .
1. What is the degree of the polynomial?

2. What does that say about the greatest number of roots of this polynomial?

3. Using available technology, graph the polynomial.

4. How many times does the graph cross the x-axis?

5. How does that answer compare to the answer from part b?

6. Where does it look like the graph crosses the x-axis?

7. Pick one possible root and convert it into a linear function. What do you get when you divide the linear function into the original polynomial?

8. Pick one other root and repeat step g.

9. Can you factor this remaining polynomial? If so, factor what is remaining. If not, perform step g again.

10. Final conclusions:
1. How can you use a graph to factor polynomials?

2. What happens when there are fewer roots than the degree of the polynomial suggests?