Problem of the Week 979

Find the Roots

What are all the possible values of solutions to x^2 + px + q = 0, where p and q can take on any values in the interval [-1, 1]?

Source: A nice new book by the MAA: Mathematical Miniatures, by S Savchev and T. Andreescu.
© Copyright 2003 Stan Wagon. Reproduced with permission.


28 February 2003