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Miracles
Feb14-07, 08:37 AM
can a non-factorable function has rational real roots?

Hootenanny
Feb14-07, 08:55 AM
can a non-factorable function has rational real roots?
Yes, for example take f(x):= x+a where a \in \mathbb{Q}.

StatusX
Feb14-07, 09:40 AM
Are you asking if a polynomial with rational coefficients which cannot be written as the product of polynomials with rational coefficients of smaller degree can have rational roots? Except for the trivial case of polynomials of degree one, the answer is no, because any rational root a of f(x) translates to a linear factor (x-a) of f(x), ie, there is a polynomial g(x) with rational coefficients such that f(x)=(x-a)g(x).