MTH 101-Elementary Mathematics I

A. T. Ademola

Yellow House Building, MBB 007

Department of Mathematics
Obafemi Awolowo University
Ile-Ife, Nigeria

March 16, 2021

Module 5.4: Maximum or minimum value of quadratic
functions
Recall that the graph of the function
y = ax 2 + bx + c (1)
for a 6= 0, is a parabola see Figure 1. If a > 0, the function in (1) has
minimum value at the bottom of the curve. If a < 0, the function has a
maximum value at the top of the curve.

Figure: 1. Minimum and Maximum Values

We have the following examples on minimum and maximum values.

Example
Consider the following problem
(i) Prove that 6x − 4 − 9x 2 can never be greater than 3.
(ii) Find the maximum value of 5 + 6x − x 2 .
(iii) Find the minimum value of 12x 2 + 24x + 13.

Solution.
(i) Let y = 6x − 4 − 9x 2 or
   
2 4 2 1 1
y = −9 x 2 − x + = −9 x 2 − x + +
3 9 3 9 3
 2   2
1 1 1
= −9 x − + = −9 x − − 3.
3 3 3
 
1 1
When x = , y = −3 is the maximum value and , 3 is the
3 3
maximum point, Figure 2 presents this information.
(ii) Let y = 5 + 6x − x 2 . Using the same approach as in (i), the the
maximum value of 5 + 6x − x 2 is y = 14 attained when x = 3.
 Figure: 2. Maximum Value of 6x − 4 − 9x 2 .
13
(iii) Let y = 12x 2 + 24x + 13 = 12(x 2 + 2x + )
  12
1
= 12 (x + 1)2 + = 12(x + 1)2 + 1
12
it follows that when x = −1 minimum value of y = 12x 2 + 24x + 13 = 1
and the minimum point is (−1, 1). Figure 3

Figure: 3. Minimum Value of 12x 2 + 24x + 13.

Exercises
Find solution(s) to the following:
1. Show that 16x 2 − 24x + 10 > 0 for all values of x;
2. Prove that 6x − 4 − 9x 2 can never be grater than −3;
3. Find the minimum value of 12x 2 + 24x + 13;
x 2 + px + p
4. If p and q are both real and q > 4, show that cannot
x 2 + qx + q
p p−4
be between and when x is real; and
q q−4
x 2 + 3x − 4
5. Find the possible values of k if may be capable of
5x − k
taking on all values when x is real.
Relation between the roots and the coefficients of a
quadratic equation
Section 2.2√shows that the roots of ax 2√+ bx + c = 0 are
−b + b 2 − 4ac −b − b 2 − 4ac
α= and β = .
2a 2a
To obtain the sum and product of roots of the general quadratic equation
we have the following methods.
Method 1.
Sum of these roots is
√ √
−b + b 2 − 4ac −b − b 2 − 4ac
α+β = +
√2a √2a (2)
−b + b 2 − 4ac + (−b − b 2 − 4ac) b
= =− .
2a a
Product of roots is
√ √
−b + b 2 − 4ac −b − b 2 − 4ac
  
αβ =
2a 2a
√ √ (3)
b + b b − 4ac − b b − 4ac − (b 2 − 4ac)
2 2 2 c
= = .
4a2 a
Method 2.
Equation (2.4) is
a(x − α)(x − β) = ax 2 + bx + c
 
2 2 b c
a[x − (α + β)x + αβ] = a x + x +
a a
Equating corresponding coefficients of x and the constant terms, we find
that
Sum of roots:
b
α+β =−
a
and product of roots is
c
αβ = .
a
Example
If α and β are the roots of the equation 3x 2 − 7x − 1 = 0 find the values
of
(i) (α − β)2 , (ii) α2 + β 2 , (iii) α4 + β 4 .
Solution.
Given the equation 3x 2 − 7x − 1 = 0 compare with the standard equation
ax 2 + bx + c = 0 so that a = 3, b = −7 and c = −1.
Applying equations (2) and (3) we have:
Sum of roots
b 7
α+β =− = ;
a 3
and
Product of roots
c 1
αβ = = − .
a 3
(i) Express (α − β)2 as sum and product of roots using Binomial
expansion.
(α − β)2 := α2 + β 2 − 2αβ.
But
(α + β)2 := α2 + β 2 + 2αβ
so that
α2 + β 2 = (α + β)2 − 2αβ
∴ (α − β)2 = α2 + β 2 − 2αβ
= (α + β)2 − 4αβ
 2
7 4 61
= + = .
3 3 9
(ii) By (i) we have
 2
2 2 2 7 2 55
α + β = (α + β) − 2αβ = + = .
3 3 9

(iii) Binomial expansion of (α + β)4 gives

(α + β)4 = α4 + 4α3 β + 6α2 β 2 + 4αβ 3 + β 4

= α4 + β 4 + 4αβ(α2 + β 2 ) + 6(αβ)2
∴ α4 + β 4 = (α + β)4 − 4αβ(α2 + β 2 ) − 6(αβ)2
 4  
7 4 55 2
= + −
3 3 9 3
3007
=
81
Example
If γ and δ are the roots of the equation px 2 + qx + r = 0, p 6= 0. Find
in-terms of p, q and r (i) γ − δ, and (ii) γ 2 − δ 2 .
Solution.
q
The sum and product of roots of px 2 + qx + r = 0 are γ + δ = − and
p
r
γδ = respectively.
p
(i) Now consider

(γ − δ)2 = γ 2 + δ 2 − 2γδ
= (γ + δ)2 − 4γδ
p
∴ γ − δ = ± (γ + δ)2 − 4γδ
s
q2 4r
=± −
p2 p
p
q 2 − 4pr
=± .
p
(ii) Using difference of two square we find that

γ 2 − δ 2 = (γ + δ)(γ − δ)
p
= ±(γ + δ) (γ + δ)2 − 4γδ
 p 2
q q − 4pr
=± −
p p
p
2
q q − 4pr
=∓ .
p2

Other related examples are discussed below.

Example
One root of the equation x 2 − px + q = 0 is the square of the other.
Show that p 3 − q(3p + 1) − q 2 = 0 provided q 6= 1.
Solution.
Let α and β be roots of equation x 2 − px + q = 0. Since one root is the
square of the other, if α a root then β = α2 .
Sum of roots:
α + β = α + α2 = p (i)
Product of roots:
αβ = α3 = q. (ii)
Now from (ii) we have α = q 1/3 and α2 = q 2/3 so that equation (i)
becomes
α + α2 = q 1/3 + q 2/3 = p. (iii)
Cube both sides of (iii) and expand using binomial expansion we have

p 3 = (q 1/3 + q 2/3 )3
= q + 3q(q 1/3 + q 2/3 ) + q 2
= q(3p + 1) + q 2
p 3 − q(3p + 1) − q 2 = 0. As required.
Example
If one root of the equation px 2 + qx + r = 0 is four times the other, show
that 4q 2 − 25pr = 0.
Solution.
From the first sentence, let α be a root then the other root is β = 4α.
Sum of roots
q
5α = − (i).
p
Product of roots
r
4α2 = . (ii)
p
q q2
From equation (i) we have α = − and α2 = .
5p 25p 2

4q 2 r
4α2 = =
25p 2 p
4q 2 r
∴ − =0
25p 2 p
4q 2 − 25pr = 0. As required.