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Printsmc
algebra senior
Problem
Let be the parabola with equation and let . There are real numbers and such that the line through with slope does not intersect if and only if . What is ?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
Solution
Let . Equating them: For there to be no solutions, the discriminant must be less than zero: . So for where and are the roots of and their sum by Vieta's formulas is .
Final answer
E