Quadratic Inequalities (Cambridge O Level Additional Maths)

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Quadratic Inequalities

What are quadratic inequalities?

  • They are similar to quadratic equations with the "=" replaced by one of <, >, ≤ or ≥
    • Just like equations such inequalities should be in a form such that 0 is on one side of the inequality
      • e.g.  a x squared plus b x plus c less or equal than 0
  • Sketching a quadratic graph is essential to finding the correct solution(s)
    • Some modern calculators may be able to solve quadratic inequalities directly
      • You could use this to check your answer

Sketching a graph to find the solutions to a quadratic inequality

How do I solve quadratic inequalities?

  • STEP 1
    Rearrange the inequality into quadratic form with a positive squared term
    ax2 + bx + c > 0 (>, <, ≤ or ≥)
  • STEP 2
    Find the roots of the quadratic equation
    Solve ax2 + bx + = 0 to get x1 and xwhere x1 ≤ x2
  • STEP 3
    Sketch the graph of the quadratic and label the roots
    As Step 1 makes the x-squared term positive it will be union-shaped
  • STEP 4
    Identify the region that satisfies the inequality
    For ax2 + bx + c > 0 you want the region above the x-axis - the solution will be x1 or x > x2 
    For ax2 + bx + c < 0 you want the region below the x-axis - the solution will be x1 < x < x2

  • Be careful:
    • avoid multiplying or dividing by a negative number

      if unavoidable, “flip” the inequality sign so <>, , etc

    • do rearrange to make the x2 term positive

     Rearrange to make the coefficient of he squared term positive

Quadratic inequalities and the discriminant

  • The discriminant of the quadratic function a x squared plus b x plus c is b squared minus 4 a c
  • It's value indicates the number of (real) roots the quadratic function has
    • if b squared minus 4 a c greater than 0 there are two roots
    • if b squared minus 4 a c equals 0 there is one root (repeated)
    • if b squared minus 4 a c less than 0 there are no roots
  • The firsts and last of these are quadratic inequalities
  • Some questions will require you to use the discriminant to set up and solve a quadratic inequality
    • For example: Find the values of k such that the equation open parentheses k plus 1 close parentheses x squared minus 7 x plus open parentheses k minus 2 close parentheses equals 0 has no real roots
      • Using the discriminant, and for no real roots, open parentheses negative 4 close parentheses squared minus 4 open parentheses k plus 1 close parentheses open parentheses k minus 2 close parentheses less than 0
      • Using the approach above, this leads to the quadratic inequality in k, k squared minus k minus 6 greater than 0
      • And using the method above, including sketching a graph, leads to the solutions k less than negative 2 and k greater than 3

Examiner Tip

  • Some calculators will solve quadratic inequalities directly and just give you the answer
    • Beware!
      • make sure you have typed the inequality in correctly
      • the calculator may not display the answer in a conventional way
        • e.g  x subscript 1 less than x less than x subscript 2 may be shown as x subscript 2 greater than x greater than x subscript 1
          Both are mathematically correct but the first way is how it would normally be written
      • these questions could crop up on the non-calculator exam paper

Worked example

1-2-5-quadratic-inequalities-example-diagram

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Inequalities on Graphs

What are inequalities on graphs?

  • Inequalities can be represented on graphs by shaded regions and dotted or solid lines
  • These inequalities have two variables, x and y
  • Several inequalities are used at once
  • The solution is an area on a graph (often called a region and labelled R)
  • The inequalities can be linear or quadratic

A graph of inequalities

How do I draw inequalities on a graph?

  • Sketch each line or curve
    • If the inequality is strict (< or >) then use a dotted line
    • If the inequality is weak (≤ or ≥) then use a solid line
  • Decide which side of the line satisfies the inequality
    • If unsure, choose a coordinate on one side and test it in the inequality
      • The origin is an easy point to use
    • If it satisfies the inequality then that whole side of the line satisfies the inequality
      • For example: (0,0) satisfies the inequality y < x2 + 1 so you want the side of the curve that contains the origin

Steps to sketch inequalities on a graph

Examiner Tip

  • Recognise this type of inequality by the use of two variables
  • You may have to deduce the inequalities from a given graph
  • Pay careful attention to which region you are asked to shade
    • Sometimes the exam could ask you to shade the region that satisfies the inequalities this means you should shade the region that is wanted.

Worked example

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Paul

Author: Paul

Expertise: Maths

Paul has taught mathematics for 20 years and has been an examiner for Edexcel for over a decade. GCSE, A level, pure, mechanics, statistics, discrete – if it’s in a Maths exam, Paul will know about it. Paul is a passionate fan of clear and colourful notes with fascinating diagrams – one of the many reasons he is excited to be a member of the SME team.