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jmc

algebra senior

Problem

For which positive integer values of does have rational solutions? Express your answers separated by commas and in increasing order.
Solution
By considering the expression for the solutions of , we find that the solutions are rational if and only if the discriminant has a rational square root. Therefore, the solutions of are rational if and only if is a perfect square. (Recall that if is an integer which is not a perfect square, then is irrational). By writing the discriminant as , we see that we only need to check the integers . Of these, work.
Final answer
6, 8\text{, and }10