Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematical-methods-i-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2017-resit/1/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematical methods I course of the University of Oxford 2017 resit 1 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
A root of unity satisfies , hence has modulus one. Writing , its argument satisfies for some integer . The three distinct complex roots are thereforeThey are equally spaced on the unit circle. Taking exhausts them, since adding three to repeats a root and a nonzero polynomial of degree three has at most three distinct roots.
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