Year: 2002
Paper: 3
Question Number: 5
Course: LFM Stats And Pure
Section: Quadratics & Inequalities
No solution available for this problem.
Difficulty Rating: 1700.0
Difficulty Comparisons: 0
Banger Rating: 1516.0
Banger Comparisons: 1
Give a condition that must be satisfied by $p$, $q$ and $r$ for it
to be possible to write the quadratic polynomial
$px^2 + qx + r$ in the form $p \l x + h \r^2$, for some $h$.
Obtain an equation, which you need not simplify,
that must be satisfied by $t$ if it is possible to write
\[
\l x^2 + \textstyle{{1 \over 2}} bx + t \r^2 - \l x^4 + bx^3 + cx^2 +dx +e \r
\]
in the form $k \l x + h \r^2$, for some $k$ and $h$.
Hence, or otherwise, write $x^4 + 6x^3 + 9x^2 -2x -7$ as a product of two quadratic factors.