Using the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra and the Linear Factorization Theorem
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Course: | MA001: College Algebra |
Book: | Using the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra and the Linear Factorization Theorem |
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Date: | Saturday, May 4, 2024, 12:08 AM |
Description
After you finish this section, you will be able to find the complex zeros of a polynomial function. This is the last stage in finding zeros of polynomial functions.
Using the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra
Now that we can find rational zeros for a polynomial function, we will look at a theorem that discusses the number of complex zeros of a polynomial function. The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra tells us that every polynomial function has at least one complex zero. This theorem forms the foundation for solving polynomial equations.
Suppose is a polynomial function of degree four, and . The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra states that there is at least one complex solution, call it . By the Factor Theorem, we can write as a product of and a polynomial quotient. Since is linear, the polynomial quotient will be of degree three. Now we apply the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra to the third-degree polynomial quotient. It will have at least one complex zero, call it . So we can write the polynomial quotient as a product of and a new polynomial quotient of degree two. Continue to apply the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra until all of the zeros are found. There will be four of them and each one will yield a factor of .
THE FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF ALGEBRA
The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra states that, if is a polynomial of degree , then has at least one complex zero.
We can use this theorem to argue that, if is a polynomial of degree , and a is a non-zero real number, then has exactly linear factors
where are complex numbers. Therefore, has roots if we allow for multiplicities.
Q&A
Does every polynomial have at least one imaginary zero?
No. Real numbers are a subset of complex numbers, but not the other way around. A complex number is not necessarily imaginary. Real numbers are also complex numbers.
EXAMPLE 6
Finding the Zeros of a Polynomial Function with Complex Zeros
Solution
The Rational Zero Theorem tells us that if is a zero of , then is a factor of and is a factor of .
The factors of are and . The possible values for pq, and therefore the possible rational zeros for the function, are , , and . We will use synthetic division to evaluate each possible zero until we find one that gives a remainder of . Let's begin with .
Dividing by gives a remainder of , so is a zero of the function. The polynomial can be written as
We can then set the quadratic equal to and solve to find the other zeros of the function.
Analysis
Look at the graph of the function in Figure 2. Notice that, at , the graph crosses the -axis, indicating an odd multiplicity () for the zero . Also note the presence of the two turning points. This means that, since there is a 3rd degree polynomial, we are looking at the maximum number of turning points. So, the end behavior of increasing without bound to the right and decreasing without bound to the left will continue. Thus, all the x-intercepts for the function are shown. So either the multiplicity of is and there are two complex solutions, which is what we found, or the multiplicity at is three. Either way, our result is correct.
Figure 2
TRY IT #4
Source: Rice University, https://openstax.org/books/college-algebra/pages/5-5-zeros-of-polynomial-functions
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Using the Linear Factorization Theorem to Find Polynomials with Given Zeros
A vital implication of the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra, as we stated above, is that a polynomial function of degree will have zeros in the set of complex numbers, if we allow for multiplicities. This means that we can factor the polynomial function into factors. The Linear Factorization Theorem tells us that a polynomial function will have the same number of factors as its degree, and that each factor will be in the form , where is a complex number.
Let be a polynomial function with real coefficients, and suppose , , is a zero of . Then, by the Factor Theorem, is a factor of . For to have real coefficients, must also be a factor of . This is true because any factor other than , when multiplied by , will leave imaginary components in the product. Only multiplication with conjugate pairs will eliminate the imaginary parts and result in real coefficients. In other words, if a polynomial function f with real coefficients has a complex zero , then the complex conjugate must also be a zero of . This is called the Complex Conjugate Theorem.
Complex Conjugate Theorem
According to the Linear Factorization Theorem, a polynomial function will have the same number of factors as its degree, and each factor will be in the form , where c is a complex number.
If the polynomial function has real coefficients and a complex zero in the form , then the complex conjugate of the zero, , is also a zero.
How To
Given the zeros of a polynomial function and a point on the graph of , use the Linear Factorization Theorem to find the polynomial function.
- Use the zeros to construct the linear factors of the polynomial.
- Multiply the linear factors to expand the polynomial.
- Substitute into the function to determine the leading coefficient.
- Simplify.
Example 7
Using the Linear Factorization Theorem to Find a Polynomial with Given Zeros
Find a fourth degree polynomial with real coefficients that has zeros of , such that .
Solution
Because is a zero, by the Complex Conjugate Theorem is also a zero. The polynomial must have factors of , , , and . Since we are looking for a degree 4 polynomial, and now have four zeros, we have all four factors. Let's begin by multiplying these factors.
We need to find a to ensure . Substitute and into .
So the polynomial function is
or
Analysis
We found that both and were zeros, but only one of these zeros needed to be given. If is a zero of a polynomial with real coefficients, then must also be a zero of the polynomial because is the complex conjugate of .
Q&A
If were given as a zero of a polynomial with real coefficients, would also need to be a zero?
Yes. When any complex number with an imaginary component is given as a zero of a polynomial with real coefficients, the conjugate must also be a zero of the polynomial.
Try It #5
Find a third degree polynomial with real coefficients that has zeros of 5 and such that .
Fundamental Theorem of Algebra
Source: Math 083-103 - Dr Masaros, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P90kMy29Y6g
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.