Solving Polynomial Inequalities by Graphing

Let's suppose you want to solve the inequality x2-1<0. Here is the graph of the function f(x)=x2-1:

A given x will solve the inequality if f(x)<0, i.e., if f(x) is below the x-axis. Thus the set of our solutions is the part of the x-axis indicated below in red, the interval (-1,1):

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If we want to see the solutions of the inequality x2-1>0, that's just as easy. Now we have to pick all values of x for which f(x)=x2-1 is above the xaxis. As you can see, we obtain as solutions the set below in blue. , indicated

Note the pivotal role played by the "yellow dots", the x-intercepts of f(x). f(x) can only change its sign by passing through an x-intercept, i.e., a solution of f(x)=0 will always separate parts of the graph of f(x) above the x-axis from parts below the xaxis. This property of polynomials is called theIntermediate Value Property of polynomials; your teacher might also refer to this property as continuity. Let us consider another example: Solve the inequality

Here is the graph of the function f(x)=x4+x3-2x2-2x>0:

TARUN GEHLOT (B.E, CIVIL, HONOURS)

A given x will solve the inequality if , i.e., if f(x) is above the x-axis. Thus the set of our solutions is the part of the x-axis indicated below in blue, the union of the following three intervals:

TARUN GEHLOT (B.E, CIVIL, HONOURS)

The (finite) endpoints are included since at these points f(x)=0 and so these x's are included in our quest of finding the solutions of .

Our answer is approximate, the endpoints of the intervals were found by inspection; you can usually obtain better estimates for the endpoints by using a numerical solver to find the solutions of f(x)=0. In fact, as you will learn in the next section, the precise endpoints of the intervals are , -1, 0 and .

Two more caveats: The method will only work, if your graphing window contains all xintercepts. Here is a rather simple-minded example to illustrate the point: Suppose you want to solve the inequality x2-10x<0.

If your graphing window is set to the interval [-5,5], you will miss half of the action, and probably come up with the incorrect answer:

To find the correct answer, the interval (0,10), your graphing window has to include the second x-intercept at x=10:

TARUN GEHLOT (B.E, CIVIL, HONOURS)

Here is another danger: Consider the three inequalities and about the same:

. If you do not zoom in rather drastically, all three graphs look

Only zooming in reveals that the solutions to the three inequalities show a rather different behavior. The first inequality has a single solution, x=0. (This also illustrates the fact that a function f(x) does not always change sign at points where f(x)=0.)
TARUN GEHLOT (B.E, CIVIL, HONOURS)

The second inequality,

, has as its solutions the interval [-0.01,0.01]:

The third inequality,

, has no solutions:

TARUN GEHLOT (B.E, CIVIL, HONOURS)

TARUN GEHLOT (B.E, CIVIL, HONOURS)