I need to find the zeros of this equation...
x^5+2x-5=0
does this factor? if so how? I cant use the quadratic equation can i?
Please help me out.
2007-02-01 06:50:40 · 3 answers · asked by packerswes4 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
This has one real zero, which is around 1.2.
Unfortunately you cannot use the quadratic formula, and I do not see any way to factor it. To see that it has exactly one real root, you can take the derivative and see that it is always positive, so it can cross the x axis at most once. Then to see that it does cross once, notice that it is negative for x=1 and positive for x=2. Thus it has one real root between 1 and 2.
To find the root more precisely you could use Newton's method or a computer.
2007-02-01 06:55:51 · answer #1 · answered by Phineas Bogg 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Usually you have to use the quadratic equation cobined with polynomial division, but in this case the only real solution is not an integer, so it doesn't work out. Don't know how to do it otherwise...
2007-02-01 14:55:53 · answer #2 · answered by eva 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
x=1.2089
2007-02-01 14:56:36 · answer #3 · answered by raj 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋