How to find polynomial roots on a TI-83 or TI-84 Plus without PolySmlt?

[moonman239]

I'd like to know how to find the root of a polynomial on my TI-84 Plus without this "Polynomial Root Finder and Simultaneous Equation Solver" app. The reason is that the app's not in my calculator and I can't transfer the app to my calculator. I keep getting an "Access Denied" error message and it seems that my calculator has a mind of its own because I hear the dinging and the donging my computer makes whenever a USB device connects or disconnects.

Maybe I'll see if I can get the app from my friend Luke when school starts.

Anyways, is there any way to find the roots of a polynomial without the app?

 

[Millennial]

I think it is fair to say that it depends on the polynomial. For a degree less than five, there is a formula that yields the roots (it is, though, extremely long.) For degrees greater than or equal to five, there is no absolute formula (as shown by Abel and Galois), but specific cases can be handled.

Also, I think Wolfram:Alpha can generate the roots. Google it. It is a website.

 

[moonman239]

I think it is fair to say that it depends on the polynomial. For a degree less than five, there is a formula that yields the roots (it is, though, extremely long.) For degrees greater than or equal to five, there is no absolute formula (as shown by Abel and Galois), but specific cases can be handled.

Also, I think Wolfram:Alpha can generate the roots. Google it. It is a website.

Thanks. Yes, I know about Wolfram:Alpha.
I wonder why something so basic wasn't baked into the OS. They could have put it into the Equation Solver.

 

[moonman239]

I guess I could write a program that would just try values of x and note which x values cause y to approximately equal 0. I would want to figure out how many zeroes there are.