My equation is
I have to find the discriminate for this assuming it has 2 real roots
so I do is greater than 0
is greater than 0
is greater than -5
k= plus or minus square route of -5
I seem to have done the discriminate well but how can a complex number be the solution for the discriminate since I am supposed to have 2 real roots?
I also encountered the same problem trying to do (but with this time the square route of -7). Can anyone help out please? Thanks.
Can you please explain how to get those real roots? The method that I learned from my book clearly isn't working.
I got the discriminate with no problem
but then I equalled it to 0 (to substitute the greater than 0 sign)
at which point I get k^2=-5.
The discriminant is positive for all k. Indeed, k^2 >= -5 holds for all k because k^2 is nonnegative. The fact that the equation k^2 = -5 has only complex roots says that it has no real roots. Therefore, (since the function k^2 + 5 is continuous,) its value is either always positive or always negative. In this case, it is obviously always positive.
If it is the latter, please can you explain how to find the right value for k (that is not a complex number)?
So surely I have to assume the discriminate is >0? But If I do this, as I have shown above I find that k is greater than a complex number. How can that 'prove' that there are real roots, if I only get a complex number as an outcome?
No, you have NOT shown that "that k is greater than a complex number"- for two reasons. First, by hypothesis, k is a real number so it makes no sense to say that k is "greater than an imaginary number" (which is what you really meant). Second, there is no way to define ">" to make the complex numbers an ordered field.
What you have shown is that which, because a real number, squared, is never negative, is true for any value of k.
I just had the misconception that I had to do what I did with other equations such as (4k-20>0) which is to simplify to find k (i.e. getting 4k>20.... k>5). I never thought it could be so simple because it is literally just a two line answer.
Once again, sorry for my incompetence. I guess I am making it overcomplicated.
Just as a last note of clarification.
If I wanted to prove an equation had two real roots 'by finding the discriminant' all I would have to write down is:
b^2-4ac>0 with the values of the equation substituted in.
Is this correct?