Question 6·Hard·Nonlinear Equations in One Variable; Systems in Two Variables
In the -plane, the graphs of
and
intersect at three points. One of the intersection points is . What is the sum of the -coordinates of the other two intersection points?
(Express the answer as an integer)
For intersection problems like this, first set the two expressions for equal to get a single equation in . Recognize that the solutions of this equation are the x-coordinates of all intersection points. If the equation is a polynomial and you are given one intersection point, use that x-value as a known root and apply Vieta’s formulas: for a cubic , the sum of all roots is . This lets you compute the sum of the remaining roots directly—often without solving for each one individually—saving time and avoiding messy algebra with irrational numbers.
Hints
Connect intersection points to an equation in x
At intersection points, the -values from both equations are equal. What equation do you get if you set equal to and simplify?
Use the given intersection point
Once you have the cubic equation in , remember that the given point tells you one solution for . How can knowing one solution help you reason about the others?
Think about the sum of the roots of a cubic
Write your cubic in the form . What is the coefficient of , and what does that tell you about ? Then use the known root to find .
Desmos Guide
Graph both equations
In Desmos, enter y = x^3 - 3x + 1 on one line and y = 2 - x on another. You should see a cubic curve and a straight line.
Locate the intersection points
Click on the points where the line and cubic intersect. Desmos will show three intersection points and their coordinates. Identify the one with and note the -coordinates of the other two intersection points.
Find the sum of the two desired x-coordinates
Either write down the two -values and add them by hand, or in a new Desmos expression type their sum (for example, if they are and , type a + b). The resulting value is the sum of the -coordinates of the other two intersection points.
Step-by-step Explanation
Set the equations equal to find intersection x-values
At intersection points, the -values from both equations are the same, so set the right-hand sides equal:
Move all terms to one side:
So the x-coordinates of intersection points are the solutions (roots) of .
Use the given intersection point to identify one root
The problem tells you that one intersection point is , so is a solution of the equation .
Let the three roots (x-coordinates of intersections) be , with .
For a cubic of the form
the sum of the roots is (the negative of the coefficient).
Find the sum of the other two roots using the sum of all roots
Rewrite the equation in the standard form to read off :
This is the same as , so .
Therefore, the sum of all three roots is
We want , the sum of the other two intersection x-coordinates. Use
Since , we get
So, the sum of the -coordinates of the other two intersection points is 1.