Question

Use synthetic division to determine whether the number k is an upper or lower bound (as specified for the real zeros of the function f).

k = 2; f(x) = 5x^4 + 4x^3 - 2x^2 + 2x + 4; Upper bound?

Answer 1

ok do you know what makes it a upper or lower bound?

Answer 2

No that's what confused me. I kinda got synthetic division down though.

Answer 3

what was ur resuly for synthetic division @Bunnijjane ?

Upper Bound
If synthetic division is performed by dividing by x-k, where k>0, and all the signs in the bottom row of the synthetic division are non-negative, then x=k is an upper bound (nothing is larger) for the zeros of the polynomial.

Lower Bound
If synthetic division is performed by dividing by x-k, where k<0, and the signs in the bottom row of the synthetic division alternate (between non-negative and non-positive), then x=k is a lower bound (nothing is smaller) for the zeros of the polynomial.

Answer 4

So it's upper bound if there are no negatives?

Answer 5

that's what i remember, havent done synthetic div in a while tho
graphed: it looks kinda like this: