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Miscellaneous Exercise 4(A) · Q39

Q.The determinant D=∣aba+bbcb+ca+bb+c0∣=0D=\begin{vmatrix} a & b & a+b \\ b & c & b+c \\ a+b & b+c & 0 \end{vmatrix} = 0 if
A) a, b, c are in A.P.
B) a, b, c are in G.P.
C) a, b, c are in H.P.
D) α\alpha is a root of ax2+2bx+c=0ax^2+2bx+c=0

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✓ Free question

If a,b,ca,b,c are in G.P., write b=ar, c=ar2b=ar,\ c=ar^2 for common ratio rr. Then row 1 is (a, ar, a+ar)=a(1,r,1+r)(a,\ ar,\ a+ar)=a(1,r,1+r) and row 2 is (ar, ar2, ar+ar2)=ar(1,r,1+r)(ar,\ ar^2,\ ar+ar^2)=ar(1,r,1+r). So row 2 =r×= r\times row 1, which makes the determinant automatically zero (proportional rows). A direct expansion of DD (in terms of general a,b,ca,b,c) gives D=ab2−2abc−ac2+2b3+b2c−a2cD=ab^2-2abc-ac^2+2b^3+b^2c-a^2c, and substituting b2=acb^2=ac (the G.P. condition) reduces this to 00 identically. Testing a non-G.P. triple such as a=1,b=2,c=5a=1,b=2,c=5 gives D=−10≠0D=-10\neq0, confirming the condition is exactly the G.P. one.

✓Final answer

Option B — a, b, c are in G.P.

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