Q.Solve 2x2−x+1=0.
Concept understanding — Quadratic Equations with Complex Roots
Every quadratic equation ax2+bx+c=0 (with a=0) has solutions given by the familiar formula x=2a−b±b2−4ac, and this formula continues to work even when the discriminant D=b2−4ac is negative or when the coefficients a,b,c are themselves complex — the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra guarantees that a degree-n polynomial equation always has exactly n roots in the complex numbers, so a quadratic is never left without a solution. When a,b,c are real and D<0, the square root D is rewritten as i∣D∣, and the two roots that come out are complex conjugates of each other — if p+iq is one root, p−iq is automatically the other. When the coefficients are themselves complex (or when the discriminant is a general complex number rather than a negative real one), finding D requires the square-root-of-a-complex-number technique (writing the square root as a+ib and solving two simultaneous equations), and the two roots need not be conjugates of each other. A related, very useful trick is evaluating a polynomial p(x) at a known complex root: if x=p+iq satisfies a quadratic x2+Bx+C=0 with real coefficients built from that root and its conjugate, then dividing the target polynomial by that quadratic reduces the whole evaluation to a short remainder calculation instead of repeatedly expanding high powers of a complex number.
D=b2−4ac<0; write D=i∣D∣.
x=41+i7 or x=41−i7.
For 2x2−x+1=0: a=2,b=−1,c=1, D=(−1)2−4(2)(1)=1−8=−7. D=i7. x=2(2)−(−1)±i7=41±i7.
x=41+i7 or x=41−i7.
Identify a,b,c carefully (note b=−1), compute D, and substitute into the quadratic formula with D=i∣D∣.
- Sign error using b=1 instead of b=−1, which flips the sign of the real part of both roots
- Forgetting to double a in the denominator, writing 4a instead of 2a
- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Solve the equation x2+3x+9=0.
›Reveal solutionSolution
x=2−3±3i3.
For x2+3x+9=0, with a=1,b=3,c=9:
Discriminant =b2−4ac=9−36=−27.
x=2−3±−27=2−3±i27=2−3±3i3
(since 27=9×3=33).
✓Final answerx=2−3+3i3 or x=2−3−3i3.
- CBSE 2020Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Solve the equation 2x2+x+1=0.
›Reveal solutionSolution
2x2+x+1=0 has roots x=4−1±i7.
Using the quadratic formula x=2a−b±b2−4ac with a=2,b=1,c=1:
Discriminant =b2−4ac=1−8=−7, which is negative, so the roots are complex.
x=4−1±−7=4−1±i7.
✓Final answerx=4−1+i7 or x=4−1−i7.
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