Irrational Computation of a Rational Cubic Root.

110 Views Asked by At

\begin{align} & x^3+5x-18=0\\ \text{Let } & x=a+b\\ & (a+b)^3+5(a+b)-18 =0\\ & a^3+b^3+(3ab+5)(a+b)-18=0 \end{align} Taking $a$ and $b$ such that $3ab+5=0$.
We have, $a^3+b^3-18=0$
\begin{align} & a^3-\frac{5^3}{(3a)^3}-18=0\\ & a^6-18a^3-\frac{125}{27}=0\\ & a^3=9+\sqrt{81+\frac{125}{27}}\\ & a=\sqrt[3]{9+\sqrt{81+\frac{125}{27}}} \end{align}

Therefore, $x=\sqrt[3]{9+\sqrt{81+\frac{125}{27}}}+\sqrt[3]{9-\sqrt{81+\frac{125}{27}}}$.
I can't solve the last equation without computing the value of the square-root within the cube root. But, by doing that I can only get an approximate value of $x$, not the real value, which is $2$. Is there a way to solve the above equation so that one arrives at the value $2$ and not an approximation?

1

There are 1 best solutions below

3
On

$$x^3+5x-18=x^3-2x^2+2x^2-4x+9x-18=(x-2)(x^2+2x+9),$$ which gives $x=2$ because $$x^2+2x+9=(x+1)^2+8>0.$$

We need to prove that $$\sqrt[3]{9+\sqrt{81+\frac{125}{27}}}+\sqrt[3]{9-\sqrt{81+\frac{125}{27}}}=2$$ or

$$9+\sqrt{81+\frac{125}{27}}+9-\sqrt{81+\frac{125}{27}}-2^3+3\cdot2\sqrt[3]{9+\sqrt{81+\frac{125}{27}}}\cdot\sqrt[3]{9-\sqrt{81+\frac{125}{27}}}=0$$ or $$10+6\sqrt[3]{9^2-9^2-\frac{125}{27}}=0,$$ which is obvious.

I used $$a^3+b^3+c^3-3abc=(a+b+c)(a^2+b^2+c^2-ab-ac-bc)$$ and the following fact: $$a^2+b^2+c^2-ab-ac-bc=\frac{1}{2}\sum_{cyc}(a-b)^2=0$$ for $a=b=c$ only.

In our case $a=\sqrt[3]{9+\sqrt{81+\frac{125}{27}}}$, $b=\sqrt[3]{9-\sqrt{81+\frac{125}{27}}}$ and $c=-2$.