Geometrical solution of some cubic equations with non-real roots

Abstract

A general cubic equation ax 3 + bx 2 + cx + d = 0 where a, b, c, d ∈R, a ≠ 0 has three roots with two possibilities—either all three roots are real or one root is real and the remaining two roots are imaginary. Dealing with the second possibility this paper attempts to give the geometrical locations of the imaginary roots of the equation under three different sets of conditions. These sets of conditions include: (i) the real root of the given cubic equation is given, (ii) the real part of an imaginary root is given, and (iii) the imaginary part of an imaginary root is given.