Zollege is here for to help you!!
Need Counselling
GMAT logo

Which of the following equations has 1 + √2 as one of its roots? GMAT Problem Solving

Overview es 2Overview en 2RegistrationExam PatternPreparation TipsPractice PaperResultCut offmock testNews
Sayantani Barman's profile photo

Sayantani Barman

Experta en el extranjero | Updated On - Feb 6, 2023

\(​​\)Question: Which of the following equations has \(1+\sqrt{2}\) as one of its roots?

A. \(x^2+2x-1=0\)
B. \(x^2-2x+1=0\)
C. \(x^2+2x+1=0\)
D. \(x^2-2x-1=0\)
E. \(x^2-x-1=0\)

Answer:
Approach Solution (1):

To solve this problem, we need to use the following two facts:
(1) If a quadratic equation has integers coefficients only, and if one of the roots is \(a+\sqrt{b}\) (where a and b are integers), then \(a-\sqrt{b}\) is also a root of the equation
(2) If r and s are roots of a quadratic equation, then the equation is of the form
\(x^2-(r+s)x+rs=0\)
Since we know that \(1-\sqrt{2}\) is a root of the quadratic equation, we can let:
r =\(1+\sqrt{2}\)
and
s =\(1-\sqrt{2}\)
Thus, r + s =\((​​1+\sqrt{2})+(1-\sqrt{2}) = 2\) and \(rs = (1+\sqrt{2})(1-\sqrt{2})=1-2=-1\)
The quadratic equation must be \(x^2-2x-1=0\)

Correct option: D

Approach Solution (2):
\(x=1+\sqrt{2}\)
\(x-1=\sqrt{2}\)
Squaring both sides:
\((x-1)^2=(\sqrt2)^2\)
\(x^2+1-2x=2\)
\(x^2-2x-1=0\)

Correct option: D

Approach Solution (3):
\(x = {-b \pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac} \over 2a}\), using equation for finding roots of the quadratic equation
Where b is the coefficient of x, a is the coefficient of \(x^2\) and c is constant
Substituting values for option A gives
\(x = -1 \pm {\sqrt{2}}\)
Since we need root \(1+\sqrt{2}\) as, b must be negative, with other coefficient same as A which is option D

Correct option: D

“Which of the following equations has \(1+\sqrt{2}\) as one of its roots?”- is a topic of the GMAT Quantitative reasoning section of GMAT. This question has been taken from the book “GMAT Official Guide Quantitative Review”. To solve GMAT Problem Solving questions a student must have knowledge about a good amount of qualitative skills. The GMAT Quant topic in the problem-solving part requires calculative mathematical problems that should be solved with proper mathematical knowledge.

Suggested GMAT Problem Solving Questions:

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

Ask your question

Subscribe To Our News Letter

Get Latest Notification Of Colleges, Exams and News

© 2026 Patronum Web Private Limited