Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2016 / ia / Paper 1 / 1A / i / Solution

The quadratic formula givesso both roots of a polynomial have real part $-b/2$. Writing $z=x+iy$, the complex exponential function satisfies $e^z=e^x(\cos y+i\sin y)$, and hence its modulus is $e^x$. ThereforeIntersecting this condition with the allowed parameter interval gives the answer for either root:The endpoint $b=2$ is included: the repeated root of a polynomial is $z=-1$, whose exponential has modulus $e^{-1}<1$.