Problem #7

  • Authors:
  • S. C. Johnson;R. L. Graham

  • Affiliations:
  • Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey;Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey

  • Venue:
  • ACM SIGSAM Bulletin
  • Year:
  • 1974

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Abstract

The function F(x) = (1/2-x) (1-x2)1/2+x(1+(1-(1/2+x)2)1/2) has a maximum at about x = .343771, where it attains the value of approximately .674981. This value is the root of an irreducible polynomial of tenth degree over the integers; the problem is to find this polynomial. The obvious way of proceeding is as follows:(1) Differentiate F(x), set it equal to zero, and clear radicals. The result is a tenth degree polynomial P(x) over the integers which has a root at about x = .343771.