Find polynoms, with as least as power possible

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The discussion revolves around finding polynomials A(x) and B(x) that satisfy the equation (x^4+2x^3+x+1)A(x) + (x^4+x^3-2x^2+2x-1)B(x) = x^3-2x with the least power possible. Participants suggest using trial and error with first-order and second-order polynomial forms for A and B, emphasizing that certain terms must cancel out. A solution is eventually proposed, identifying A(x) and B(x) as cubic polynomials, but participants express frustration over the complexity of the process and seek a simpler method. The conversation highlights the challenges of polynomial division and the need for systematic approaches to solving such equations. Ultimately, the discussion reflects a collaborative effort to tackle a complex algebraic problem.
  • #61
Why 2(m+1) unknowns? And why 2(m+1) = n+m+1?
 
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  • #62
Physicsissuef said:
Why 2(m+1) unknowns? And why 2(m+1) = n+m+1?

Because if A and B start x^m, then obvioulsy each has m+1 coefficients.

Since they're all unknown, that makes 2(m+1) unknowns.

And we need 2(m+1) = n+m+1 because we can't (generally) solve a set of simultaneous equations unless there are as many equations as unknowns. :smile:

(For an obvious example, if you have two unknowns, one equation is not enough, but two equations would be.)
 
  • #63
and where did u find n+m+1, from? Can you give me some simple example, pleasE?
 
  • #64
Physicsissuef said:
and where did u find n+m+1, from? Can you give me some simple example, pleasE?

If the original polynomials start x^n, and A and B start x^m, then when we multiply them, we get polynomials starting x^n+m; and a polynomial starting x^n+m has n+m+1 coefficients.

For example, the original question had quartic polynomials, so n = 4; and our A and B were cubic, so m = 3. And a quartic time a cubic starts x^7, and so has 8 coefficients (which does equal n+m+1), and we need 8 equations to find them (which does equal 2(m+1)). :smile:
 
  • #65
Wait, wait... We had given case like this, let's say:
(x^3+x^+x+1)A(x)+(x^2+2x+1)B(x)=x^3
And our mission, is to find does A and B are quadric, cubic or whatever... If we find it, we can substitute for the compatible polynom and solve the equation. How we will do it?
 
  • #66
Physicsissuef said:
Wait, wait... We had given case like this, let's say:
(x^3+x^+x+1)A(x)+(x^2+2x+1)B(x)=x^3
And our mission, is to find does A and B are quadric, cubic or whatever... If we find it, we can substitute for the compatible polynom and solve the equation. How we will do it?

Quadratic should do it - it's always one less: m = n - 1.

If A is quadratic, then the whole equation is quintic, so it has 6 coefficients, which give us 6 equations, so that should solve 6 unknowns, which is ok because we do have 6 unknowns (3 from a and 3 from B).

However, if A was linear, then the whole equation would be quartic, and so would have 5 coefficients, which give us 5 equations, which will not normally be ok because we only have 4 unknowns (2 from a and 2 from B), and 5 equations in 4 unkowns will normally contradict each other.
 
  • #67
Can I always be 100% sure what are A(x) and B(x), looking from the euqation? (I mean are they quadric, cubic...)
 
  • #68
Physicsissuef said:
Can I always be 100% sure what are A(x) and B(x), looking from the euqation? (I mean are they quadric, cubic...)

Hi Physicsissuef! :smile:

No, you can't be sure, because the n+m+1 equations might not be independent.

For example, if the equation is (x^{100}\,+\,2)A(x)\,+\,(x^{100}\,+\,1)B(x)\,=\,x\,,
then n = 100, so you might expect m = 99;
but when you write out all 200 equations, you find that most of them are 0 = 0.

(And the solution is obviously A(x) = x, B(x) = -x.)

So you can't be sure that A and B will be (n-1)-th order.

But you can be sure that A and B will be (n-1)-th order or less. :smile:
 
  • #69
Ok, and let me write, your way, from the start...

(x^4+2x^3+x+1)A(x) + (x^4+x^3-2x^2+2x-1)B(x)=x^3-2x

A(x)=\frac{P+Q}{2} , B(x)=\frac{P-Q}{2}

(x^4+2x^3+x+1)\frac{P+Q}{2} + (x^4+x^3-2x^2+2x-1)\frac{P-Q}{2}=x^3-2x

2Px^4+3Px^3+Qx^3-2Px^2+2Qx^2+3Px-Qx+2Q=2(x^3-2x)

P(2x^4+3x^3-2x^2+3x)\,+\,Q(x^3+2x^2-x+2)\,=\,2(x^3-2x)

Q=xR

and then dividing the whole equation with x

P(2x^3+3x^2-2x+3)\,+\,R(x^3+2x^2-x+2)\,=\,2x^2-4\,.

then rearranging the whole equation

x(x^2\,-\,1)(2P\,+\,R)\,+\,(x^2\,+\,1)(3P\,+\,2R)\,=\,2x^2 \,-\,4

substituting

xU = 2P + R, V = 3P + 2R

x^2(x^2\,-\,1)U\,+\,(x^2\,+\,1)V\,=\,2x^2\,-\,4\,;

U\,=\,-3,\,V\,=\,3x^2\,-\,4\,.

Now, what should, I substitute for?
 
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  • #70
Ok, I found them:
A=3x^3+3x^2-x-2

B=3x^3+3x^2-14x+4

Anyway, how many polynoms are possible the find?
 
  • #71
Ok, I have new problem.

(x^4-2x^3-4x^2+6x+1)A(x)+(x^3-5x-3)B(x)=x^4

A=\frac{P+Q}{2} , B=\frac{P-Q}{2}

P(x^4-x^3-4x^2+x-2)+Q(x^4-3x^3-4x^2+11x+4)=2x^4

And, I am stuck up in here, I have -2 and +4. Please, help.
 
  • #72
Physicsissuef said:
Ok, I found them:
A=3x^3+3x^2-x-2

B=3x^3+3x^2-14x+4

Hurrah! :smile: :smile:

And you did it all yourself!

(Goodness, that wass a lot of LaTeX! :smile:)

But it's not quite correct.

For example, you can see immediately, from the original equation, that if A ends +2, then so must B.

Plus … I checked my solution by multiplying it out, so I do know that mine is correct:
:smile: A(x)\,=\,(3x^3\,+\,3x^2\,-\,7x\,+\,2)\,;\,B(x)\,=\,(-3x^3\,-6x^2\,+\,x\,+\,2)\,. :smile:

This is exactly why I think this sort of solution is horrible - it's so easy to make a mistake, and so awkward to work out where the mistake is! :frown:

P.S. I have a feeling that the fact that the right-hand side of the original equation, x^3\,-\,2x, is odd (that is, only odd powers of x) means that there's an easy short-cut that I haven't spotted! :blushing:

Anyway, how many polynoms are possible the find?

There should be only one solution.

Physicsissuef said:
(x^4-2x^3-4x^2+6x+1)A(x)+(x^3-5x-3)B(x)=x^4

I chose my original P and Q so as to eliminate the units. P+Q only worked because the original polynomials ended in +1 and -1.

Your new ones end in +1 and -3.

So, to use the same technique, either change the formula for P and Q, or - much easier - put A = 3A', so that:
(3x^4-6x^3-12x^2+18x+3)A'(x)+(x^3-5x-3)B(x)=x^4\,,​
and proceed as before. :smile:
 
  • #73
A'=\frac{P+Q}{2} , B=\frac{P-Q}{2}

P(3x^4-5x^3-12x^2+13x)+Q(3x^4-7x^3-12x^2+23x+6)=2x^4

Q=xR

P(3x^4-5x^3-12x^2+13x)+R(3x^5-7x^4-12x^3+23x^2+6x)=2x^4

and then dividing the whole equation with x

P(3x^3-5x^2-12x+13)+R(3x^4-7x^3-12x^2+23x+6)=2x^3

rearranging the whole equation:

Hm... how to rearrange the whole equation?
 
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  • #74
… I wasn't concentrating …

Ah … I wasn't concentrating …

It should have been P = A' + B (so A' = P - B), and Q = B (in other words, leave B as it is, and don't make a Q).

That way, P gets a bracket with no units, and B gets what it always had, a bracket with no x^4.

Then proceed as before! :smile:

Sorry! :redface:

The general principle - I've just worked out - is:
if the first bracket is (ax^4 + … + b), and the second is (cx^4 + … + d),
then you put P = dA - pB, Q = cA - aB (or any multiple of either of them),
and that gives you a p bracket with no units, and a Q bracket with no x^4. :smile:

In Theofilius' original example, a = c = 1, b = -d = 1, so it was P = A+B, Q = A-B.

In your example, a = 1, c = 0, b = 1, d = -3, so we should put P = 3A-B, Q = -B (or B … it doesn't matter!).
 
  • #75
ok, no problem. I should substitute for A=\frac{P+B}{3} and B=-Q,
so A=\frac{P-Q}{3} and B=-Q

right?
 
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  • #76
… don't bother with Q …

Yes … but don't bother with Q, just leave B as it is, and work with P and B. :smile:

(And the difference between B and -B doesn't matter: remember, any multiple of dA - pB, or of cA - aB, will do.)
 
  • #77
(x^4-2x^3-4x^2+6x+1)A(x)+(x^3-5x-3)B(x)=x^4

A(x)=3A'

(3x^4-6x^3-12x^2+18x+3)A'(x)+(x^3-5x-3)B(x)=x^4

A'=\frac{P+B}{3}

P(x^4-2x^3-4x^2+6x+1)+B(x^4-x^3-4x^2+x-2)=x^4Hm... Look what I get?
 
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  • #78
tiny-tim please help!
 
  • #79
… correction … again …

Ah! in post #74, my:
then you put P = dA - bB, Q = cA - aB (or any multiple of either of them)​
should have been:
then you put A = cP + dQ, B = -(aP + bQ).

And the inverse formula for that is:
P = -(bA + dB)/(ad - bc); Q = (aA + cB)/(ad - bc).​

So in your example, a = 1, b = 1, c = 0, d = -3,
and we should have put A = -3Q, B = -(P+Q); or more simply B = A/3 - Q.

Sorry! :redface:
 
  • #80
Now, should I multiply first with 3 or not?
 
  • #81
I'm not sure - try it and see, if you want! :smile:
 
  • #82
(x^4-2x^3-4x^2+6x+1)A(x)+(x^3-5x-3)B(x)=x^4

A=-3Q , B=-(P+Q)

P(-x^3+5x+3)+Q(-3x^4+5x^3+12x^2-13x)=x^4

P=xR

R(-x^4+5x^2+3x)+Q(-3x^4+5x^3+12x^2-13x)=x^4

dividing with x

R(-x^3+5x+3)+Q(-3x^3+5x^2+12x-13)=x^3

then rearranging the whole equation:

Hmmm...I am stuck up in here. Help!
 
  • #83
… lucky you … !

Physicsissuef said:
R(-x^3+5x+3)+Q(-3x^3+5x^2+12x-13)=x^3

Hi Physicsissuef!

That looks fine! :smile:

Well, you still have no units on the right-hand-side (unlike our original case, which had x^2 - 2 on the right, which is why we had to either change method or put x = y + √2, and keep the same method), so you can actually do it all over again …

This time with a = -1, b = 3, c = -3, d = -13.

Lucky you … ! :smile:

(or you could just put Q\,=\,ex^2\,+\,fx\,+\,g,\,R \,=\,hx^2\,+\,jx\,+\,k, and solve the six equations for e f g h j and k)
 
  • #84
what is x = y + √ 2? And why I need to do it all over again and how do u know that I will succeed with Q\,=\,ex^2\,+\,fx\,+\,g,\,R \,=\,hx^2\,+\,jx\,+\,k?
 
  • #85
… it's the American way …

Physicsissuef said:
what is x = y + √ 2? And why I need to do it all over again and how do u know that I will succeed with Q\,=\,ex^2\,+\,fx\,+\,g,\,R \,=\,hx^2\,+\,jx\,+\,k?

Putting x = y + √ 2 would change x^2 - 2 to y^2 + 2y√2, which has no units. Obviously, it changes everything else also, so it's really long-winded, and a complete waste of time unless we're desperate!

The e f g h j k method will work because of the m = n - 1 we discussed earlier.

Why do you need to do it all over again? You don't - you could use e f g h j k for example. But it will work … and you have to do something … your public is expecting! :smile:
 
  • #86
and if I like to continue, what should I use next without e f g h j k?
 
  • #87
Sorry … not following you … the only two methods which come to mind are P Q R U V and e f g h j k.

Without that, what were you thinking of using? :confused:
 
  • #88
I would like to continue out of here:

<br /> R(-x^3+5x+3)+Q(-3x^3+5x^2+12x-13)=x^3<br />
 
  • #89
Well, I recommend e f g h j k … :smile:
 
  • #90
But, can I continue out of here, or not?
 

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