Sigma Percentile
JEE Advanced 2004
LEVELJEE Main

Animated Solution for Mathematics - Quadratic Equations: For all 'x', , then the interval in which 'a' lies is

Select Answer:

Visualized Solution

Visualizing the Quadratic Expression

  • Given: for all
  • The coefficient of is , which is positive.
  • This means the graph is an upward-opening parabola.

Condition for

  • For a quadratic for all :
  • 1. (Already satisfied)
  • 2. Discriminant

Setting up the Discriminant

  • Identify coefficients: , ,
  • Condition:
  • Substitute:

Expanding the Expression

  • Expand the square:
  • Distribute the :
  • Rearrange terms:

Simplifying the Inequality

  • Notice that all terms are multiples of .
  • Divide the entire inequality by :
  • Result:

Factorizing the Quadratic

  • We need two numbers that multiply to and add to .
  • Split the middle term:
  • Factor by grouping:
  • Final Factors:

Applying the Wavy Curve Method

  • Critical points are where factors equal zero: and
  • Plot these points on a number line.
  • Determine the sign of in each interval.

Finding the Valid Interval

  • The expression is negative ( ) between the roots.
  • Therefore, the valid region is between and .
  • Final Interval:

The Sigma Insight: Maximum and Minimum Values of Quadratic Expressions

Solution Diagram

Analyzing the Setup

Imagine you are standing in front of a graph. You have a quadratic expression, , and you are told that for every single real value of , this expression is strictly greater than zero.
Since the coefficient of is , which is positive, we know we are dealing with an upward-opening parabola. If this parabola is always positive, it means it never dips below the -axis. It is, quite literally, a floating parabola.

The Gatekeeper

The Discriminant
For this parabola to stay completely above the -axis, it cannot have any real roots. If it had real roots, it would cross the -axis, and at those points, the expression would be zero or negative.
Algebraically, the condition for a quadratic to hold for all is twofold: first, (which is already satisfied here), and second, the discriminant must be strictly less than zero. This is our gatekeeper.
We need:

The Algebraic Grind

Now, let us get our hands dirty with the algebra. We identify our coefficients: , , and .
Substituting these into our discriminant formula, we get:
Expanding this, we have , which simplifies to . Rearranging the terms, we arrive at:
Notice how all these terms are multiples of ? We can divide the entire inequality by without changing the inequality sign, leaving us with:

The Final Verdict

The Wavy Curve
We are almost there. We need to factorize . We look for two numbers that multiply to and add to . Those numbers are and .
So, the inequality becomes:
To solve this, we use the wavy curve method. The critical points are and . These points divide the number line into three regions.
Testing the regions, we find that the expression is negative only between the roots. Thus, the valid interval for is:
You have successfully navigated the constraints of the quadratic and found the hidden interval. Keep this logic in your toolkit; it is the key to mastering many such problems in your JEE journey.

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