Edexcel C1 2011 June — Question 7

Exam BoardEdexcel
ModuleC1 (Core Mathematics 1)
Year2011
SessionJune
TopicQuadratic Functions

7. $$\mathrm { f } ( x ) = x ^ { 2 } + ( k + 3 ) x + k$$ where \(k\) is a real constant.
  1. Find the discriminant of \(\mathrm { f } ( x )\) in terms of \(k\).
  2. Show that the discriminant of \(\mathrm { f } ( x )\) can be expressed in the form \(( k + a ) ^ { 2 } + b\), where \(a\) and \(b\) are integers to be found.
  3. Show that, for all values of \(k\), the equation \(\mathrm { f } ( x ) = 0\) has real roots.