ALEKS Kwadwo Amankwa - 07/04/2015 6:03:56 ...

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Kwadwo Amankwa - 07/04/2015 6:03:56 AM PDT

PreCalculus / Amankwa, Kwadwo (Amankwa)
1.
Solving a polynomial inequality
Solve the inequality.
(1 )( 2 + 9)( + 5) > 0
Write your answer as an interval or union of intervals.
We'll use the fact that a polynomial only changes signs at its real zeros.
That is, a polynomial is always positive or always negative between two consecutive real
zeros.
So, we'll find the real zeros of the polynomial (1 )( 2 + 9)( + 5).
(1 )( 2 + 9)( + 5) = 0
real zeros: = 1 and = 5
(Note that 2 + 9 = 0 has no real solutions.)
These two zeros split the real numbers into the following three intervals.
( , 5) , ( 5, 1) , (1, )
We'll choose a test value in each interval and evaluate the polynomial at that value.
The sign of the polynomial at the test value tells us the sign for the entire interval.
Interval

Test value ()

Value of (1 )( 2 + 9)( + 5)

( , 5)

(1 ( 6))(( 6) 2 + 9)(6 + 5) < 0

( 5, 1)

(1 0)(0 2 + 9)(0 + 5) >

(1, )

(1 2)(2 2 + 9)(2 + 5) < 0

(Note that the factor 2 + 9 in (1 )( 2 + 9)( + 5) is always positive, so we only need to

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04/07/15 14:04

ALEKS Kwadwo Amankwa - 07/04/2015 6:03:56 ...

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look at the sign of (1 )( + 5) to get the sign of the polynomial.)

We are trying to solve the inequality (1 )( 2 + 9)( + 5) > .
So we want to find all -values that make the polynomial positive.
From the table above, we see that the polynomial is positive on the following interval.
( 5, 1)
Here is the answer.
( 5, 1)

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