Algebra 5

Vieta’s Formula

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Charles Yang (quanxinyang@gmail.com)

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27 Dec 2024

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§1 Introduction

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Today, we will explore Vieta’s Formulas, a critical set of relationships in algebra that connect the coefficients of
a polynomial to sums and products of its roots. Mastering these formulas can greatly simplify the process of

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solving polynomials and understanding their properties, which is invaluable for competitive math contests like

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the AMC.

§2 Overview of Vieta’s Formulas

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Vieta’s Formulas are derived from the coefficients of a polynomial and provide a direct way to relate these
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coefficients to the roots (solutions) of the polynomial without actually solving it.
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§2.1 Formulas for Quadratic Equations

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For a quadratic equation of the form:

ax2 + bx + c = 0,
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with roots r1 and r2 , Vieta’s formulas state that:

ˆ The sum of the roots r1 + r2 = − ab ,

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ˆ The product of the roots r1 · r2 = ac .

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§2.2 Formulas for Cubic Equations

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For a cubic equation ax3 + bx2 + cx + d = 0 with roots r1 , r2 , r3 :

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ˆ The sum of the roots: r1 + r2 + r3 = − ab ,

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ˆ The sum of the products of the roots taken two at a time: r1 r2 + r2 r3 + r3 r1 = ac ,

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ˆ The product of the roots: r1 · r2 · r3 = − ad .

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§2.3 General Form for Higher Degree Polynomials

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Vieta’s Formulas are not limited to quadratic or cubic equations but extend to polynomials of any degree. For a
polynomial of degree n:
P (x) = an xn + an−1 xn−1 + . . . + a1 x + a0 = 0,
with roots r1 , r2 , . . . , rn , Vieta’s Formulas relate the coefficients of the polynomial to the sums and products of
the roots in systematic ways:
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Charles Yang (quanxinyang@gmail.com) — 27 Dec 2024 Algebra 5

ˆ The sum of the roots taken one at a time (with sign) is:
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r1 + r2 + . . . + rn = −
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ˆ The sum of the products of the roots taken two at a time is:
an−2

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r1 r2 + r1 r3 + . . . + rn−1 rn =
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ˆ The sum of the products of the roots taken three at a time is:

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an−3
r1 r2 r3 + . . . + rn−2 rn−1 rn = −
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ˆ This pattern continues, alternating in sign, until the product of all n roots, which is:
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r1 r2 . . . rn = (−1)n

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These relationships are powerful tools in algebra, particularly useful in symmetric polynomial problems and
situations where the roots themselves are difficult to calculate directly but their sum or product is needed.

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§3 Applications of Vieta’s Formulas

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Vieta’s Formulas allow us to quickly determine relationships between roots without solving the equation. They
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are especially useful in symmetric functions of roots and for creating new equations.
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Example 3.1
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Given a quadratic equation x2 − 5x + 6 = 0, find the sum and product of its roots.
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Solution.
The sum of the roots is − −5
1 = 5, and the product of the roots is
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= 6.
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Example 3.2
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If the roots of x2 + px + q = 0 are 4 and 1, find the values of p and q.

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Solution.
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By Vieta’s Formulas, the sum of the roots 4 + 1 = −p gives p = −5, and the product of the roots 4 · 1 = q
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gives q = 4.
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Example 3.3
Find the sum and product of the roots for the polynomial x4 − 3x3 + 5x2 − 2x + 7 = 0.
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Solution.
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Using Vieta’s formulas:

ˆ The sum of the roots r1 + r2 + r3 + r4 = − −3
1 = 3.

ˆ The product of all four roots taken at once r1 r2 r3 r4 = (−1)4 × 7

1 = 7.

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Charles Yang (quanxinyang@gmail.com) — 27 Dec 2024 Algebra 5

Example 3.4
Given that r, s, and t are the roots of the polynomial x3 − 6x2 + 11x − 6 = 0, find the value of r2 + s2 + t2 .

Solution.
Using Vieta’s formulas, we know:

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r + s + t = 6, rs + rt + st = 11, rst = 6.

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The expression r2 + s2 + t2 can be rewritten using the identity:

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r2 + s2 + t2 = (r + s + t)2 − 2(rs + rt + st).

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Substituting the values from Vieta’s formulas:

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r2 + s2 + t2 = 62 − 2 × 11 = 36 − 22 = 14.

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Example 3.5
A quartic polynomial f (x) = x4 − 2x3 − 7x2 + 8x − 4 has roots a, b, c, and d. Using Vieta’s formulas, compute

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ab + ac + ad + bc + bd + cd. io
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Solution.
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From Vieta’s formulas:

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a + b + c + d = 2, ab + ac + ad + bc + bd + cd = −7.

Thus, the requested sum is −7.

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Example 3.6
Determine the sum of the reciprocals of the roots of the polynomial x2 − 7x + 10 = 0.
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Solution.
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Let the roots be α and β. Then:

α + β = 7, αβ = 10.
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The sum of the reciprocals is:

1 1 α+β 7
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+ = = .
α β αβ 10
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Example 3.7
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Find the sum of the squares of the roots of x2 − 4x + 3 = 0.

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Charles Yang (quanxinyang@gmail.com) — 27 Dec 2024 Algebra 5

Solution.
Using Vieta’s:
α + β = 4, αβ = 3.
The sum of squares of the roots is:

α2 + β 2 = (α + β)2 − 2αβ = 42 − 2 · 3 = 10.

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§4 Assignment

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Problem 4.1. The quadratic equation x2 + mx + n has roots twice those of x2 + px + m, and none of m, n,
and p is zero. What is the value of n/p?
(A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 4 (D) 8 (E) 16
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Problem 4.2. The sum of the zeros, the product of the zeros, and the sum of the coefficients of the function
f (x) = ax2 + bx + c are equal. Their common value must also be which of the following?
(A) the coefficient of x2
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(B) the coefficient of x

(C) the y-intercept of the graph of y = f (x)
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(D) one of the x-intercepts of the graph of y = f (x)

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(E) the mean of the x-intercepts of the graph of y = f (x)

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Problem 4.3. The polynomial x3 − ax2 + bx − 2010 has three positive integer roots. What is the smallest
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possible value of a?
(A) 78 (B) 88 (C) 98 (D) 108 (E) 118
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Problem 4.4. If the roots of the quadratic 3x2 + 6x − 5 are r and s, find r3 + s3 .
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(A) − 28 (B) − 18 (C) − 8 (D) 9 (E) 16

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Problem 4.5. Find the sum and product of the roots of the quadratic equation 2x2 − 24x + 17 = 0.

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Charles Yang (quanxinyang@gmail.com) — 27 Dec 2024 Algebra 5

Problem 4.6. There are two values of a for which the equation 4x2 + ax + 8x + 9 = 0 has only one solution for
x. What is the sum of those values of a?
(A) − 16 (B) − 8 (C) 0 (D) 8 (E) 20

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Problem 4.7. Let a and b be the roots of the equation x2 − mx + 2 = 0. Suppose that a + and b + are the

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b a
roots of the equation x2 − px + q = 0. What is q?

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(A) 25 (B) 72 (C) 4 (D) 92 (E) 8

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Problem 4.8. What is the sum of the reciprocals of the roots of the equation 2004 x +1+ x = 0?
(A) − 2004 (B) − 1 (C) 2003 (D) 1 2004
(E) 2003

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2003 2004

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Problem 4.9. Let f be a function for which f = x2 + x + 1. Find the sum of all values of z for which

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f (3z) = 7.
(A) − 1/3 (B) − 1/9 (C) 0 (D) 5/9 (E) 5/3

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Problem 4.10. What is the sum of all real numbers x for which |x2 − 12x + 34| = 2?
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(A) 12 (B) 15 (C) 18 (D) 21 (E) 25

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Problem 4.11. Suppose that a and b are nonzero real numbers, and that the equation x2 + ax + b = 0 has
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solutions a and b. Then the pair (a, b) is

(A) (−2, 1) (B) (−1, 2) (C) (1, −2) (D) (2, −1) (E) (4, 4)
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Problem 4.12. Let a, b, and c be three distinct one-digit numbers. What is the maximum value of the sum of
the roots of the equation (x − a)(x − b) + (x − b)(x − c) = 0 ?
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(A) 15 (B) 15.5 (C) 16 (D)16.5 (E) 17

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