Re: algebraic solutions
- To: mathgroup@smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg11282] Re: [mg11193] algebraic solutions
- From: Sean Ross <seanross@worldnet.att.net>
- Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1998 01:39:35 -0500
- References: <199803030410.XAA02144@smc.vnet.net.>
Daniel Teitelbaum wrote: > > Hi all, > > I'm a fairly novice Mathematica user, and I'm having a problem. I asked > a more experienced user and he could solve it, either. I hope there is > a solution and that you all can help. > > I want to find the roots of the following equation: > > z^5 + 2z^3 - p + 1 = 0 > > I want to solve for z in terms of p. Now, if I pick some random number > for p, I can get mathematica to solve for z, but I cant get a solution > in terms of p. Alternatively, I would like to be able to plot this > function with p included as part of the vertical axis. > > Thanks in advance for your help, > > Daniel A quintic equation is hard to solve numerically. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think anyone has cracked the symbolic form of a quintic solution yet. Anyway, I do not believe that you would want to look at the pages and pages of algebra that would result from a symbolic solution of a quintic. Remember that, in general, a fifth order polynomial has five roots. Do you want to find and plot all of them? Are you only interested in a real root? In any event, I think you are going to have to stick to numeric solutions unless you want to become a mathematician and crack the symbolic solution to a quintic yourself. -- Remove the _nospam_ in the return address to respond.
- References:
- algebraic solutions
- From: Daniel Teitelbaum <dt2m+@andrew.cmu.edu>
- algebraic solutions