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Write the complex number as . Since , the modulus of the complex exponential givesThis equals one precisely when . The quadratic formula shows that the imaginary part of either root is . Consequently the roots are real exactly at the two endpoints:Both endpoints satisfy the condition. The repeated roots are respectively and ; their multiples by have exponentials on the unit circle.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ia Paper 1 1A i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The quadratic formula givesso both roots of a polynomial have real part . Writing , the complex exponential function satisfies , and hence its modulus is . ThereforeIntersecting this condition with the allowed parameter interval gives the answer for either root:The endpoint is included: the repeated root of a polynomial is , whose exponential has modulus .