# Math Help - roots of a 5-degree polynomial

1. ## roots of a 5-degree polynomial

Here is another equation where I am stuck to find the exact number of real roots: $x^5+x^3-2x+1=0$. Descarte's rule says it has $0$ or $2$ +ve real roots and $1$ -ve real root. How do I know (apart from Wolframalpha, of course, which says it has no +ve root) how many +ve real roots does this equation have? I see $f(0),f(1),f(2)$ all are $>0$. But I want something more general to rely on.

Thanks

2. First note that every odd degree polynomial has at least one real root.

$f(x)=x^5+x^3-2x+1 \implies g'(x)=5x^4+3x^2-2 =(5x^2-2)(x^2+1)$

So the function is increasing on

$\left(-\infty, \sqrt{\frac{2}{5}}\right) \cup \left(\sqrt{\frac{2}{5}},\infty\right)$

and has a max at

$x=-\sqrt{\frac{2}{5}}$

and a min at

$x=\sqrt{\frac{2}{5}}$

Note that

$f\left(-\sqrt{\frac{2}{5}} \right) > 0 \text{ and } f\left( \sqrt{\frac{2}{5}}\right) > 0$

So the function has one zero in

$\left(-\infty, \sqrt{\frac{2}{5}}\right)$

and then is never negative again so it has only one real zero.