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Square Root Functions - Inequalities

Recall that in the case of quadratic inequalities ax2+bx+c>0 and ax2+bx+c<0 where a>0 (a is positive), a, b, c are real and we obtained the roots or solutions of ax2+bx+c=0. We also found that if ax2+bx+c>0, r1, r2 were the solutions, the solution set was of the form {x|x< r1} ∪{x|x>r2} where r2>r1 and for ax2+bx+c<0, the solution set was of the form {x | r1<x<r2}.

On the number line, we had
 
ax2+bx+c>0     ax2+bx+c<0      ax2+bx+c>0
  +ve      r1        -ve         r2        +ve
 
In the cases we have just studied for square root functions, we are likely to obtain square root inequalities of the form
 
 

Example 1

 
Squaring both sides
 
 
3x2-2<4x2-4x+1

      0 < 4x2-4x+1-3x2+2

      0 < x2-4x+3

      0 < x2-3x-x+3

      0 < x(x-3)-1(x-3)

      0 < (x-1)(x-3)

This is of the form (x-1) (x-3)>0

r1 = 1,     r2 = 3

First, check whether 3r12-2 ≥ 0 and 2r1-1 ≥ 0

and 3r22-2 ≥ 0 and 2r2-1 ≥ 0

      3x2-2 = 3*12-2 = 3-2 = 1>0

      2x-1 = 2*1-1 = 2-1-1>0

      3x2-2 = 3*32-2 = 27-2 = 25>0

      2x-1 = 2*3-1 = 6-1 = 5>0

      r1=1, r2 = 3

      for (x-1) (x-3)>0

⇒      x-1>0 and x-3>0

⇒      x>1 and x>3

      or x-1<0 and x-3<0

⇒      x<1 and x<3

 ∴ Solution set= {x|x<1} ∪ {x|x>3}
 

Try this question

 
 x2+8x+16<36(x-4)

          x2+8x+16<36x-144

          x2+8x+16-36x+144<0

          x2-28x+160<0

          x2-20x-8x+160<0

          x(x-20)-8(x-20)<0

          (x-8)(x–20)<0

          ∴ r1=8, r2=20

          2x+9 = 2 *  8+9 = 16+9 = 25>0

          x–4=8–4=4>0

and           2x+9=2*20+9=49>0

                 x–4=20–4=16>0

Consider     (x–8)(x–20)<0

⇒           x–8<0 and x–20>0

⇒          x<8 and x>20

or

⇒          x-8>0 and x-20<0

⇒          x>8 and x<20


Solution set ={x|8<x<20}
 
 














Canceling 4 on both sides

 
9(6-x) = 64 - 16x + x2

         64 - 16x + x2 - 54 + 9x = 0

         x2 - 7x + 10 = 0

         x2 - 5x - 2x + 10 = 0

         x(x-5) -2 (x-5) = 0

         (x-2) (x-5) = 0

⇒      x - 2 = 0 or x - 5 = 0

         x = 2 or x = 5

If x = 2

         3x + 10

         =3*2+10

          =6+10

          =16 > 0

         6 - x = 6 - 2

                 = 4 > 0
  If x=5
         
          3x + 10

          = 3*5 + 10

          = 15 + 10

          = 25 > 0

         6 - x = 6 - 5

                 =1>0

   Solution set {2, 5}

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