# Math Help - Real roots

1. ## Real roots

Hi, I worked out a solution for this problem but I need someone to check it:

Prove that the roots of $(x-a)(x-b) = h^2$ are always real:

$x^2 -bx-ax+ab-h^2 =0$
$A= 1, B= -(a+b), C= ab-h^2$ where $B^2 - 4AC$ = positive or zero for the roots to be real.

$B^2-4AC = [-(a+b)]^2 -4(1)(ab-h^2)$

$a^2+2ab+b^2-4ab+4h^2 = a^2-2ab+b^2 +4h^2$

$= (a-b)^2 + 4h^2$

$(a-b)^2+4h^2$ consists of two perfect squares, which can never be negative. Specifically, the roots are rational because $B^2- 4AC$ is a perfect square.

2. Originally Posted by Recklessid
Hi, I worked out a solution for this problem but I need someone to check it:

Prove that the roots of $(x-a)(x-b) = h^2$ are always real:

$x^2 -bx-ax+ab-h^2 =0$
$A= 1, B= -(a+b), C= ab-h^2$ where $B^2 - 4AC$ = positive or zero for the roots to be real.

$B^2-4AC = [-(a+b)]^2 -4(1)(ab-h^2)$

$a^2+2ab+b^2-4ab+4h^2 = a^2-2ab+b^2 +4h^2$

$= (a-b)^2 + 4h^2$

$(a-b)^2+4h^2$ consists of two perfect squares, which can never be negative. Specifically, the roots are rational because $B^2- 4AC$ is a perfect square.
yes, that works. just say
$(a - b)^2 \ge 0$ and $4h^2 = (2h)^2 \ge 0$ for all $a,b,h \in \mathbb{R}$ (since they are squares), so that the discriminant $b^2 - 4ac \ge 0$ and we have real roots

3. That looks perfect to me nothing I can see wrong with it