The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra KSU （代数基本定理已经）.pdf

The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra Adrian Throop Math 4495 Dr. Derado Fall 2005 The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra Of the options, the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra was chosen to be investigated. A majority of the project has been dedicated to a proof of the theorem, and the remainder is dedicated to discussion about the theorem and it’s origin and relevance to the high school math environment. As is typical in discussion of mathematical theories and theorems, the theorem is stated. The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra states that any complex polynomial of degree n has exactly n roots. Another simple way to state the theorem is that any com- plex polynomial can be factored into n terms. It will be discussed later that neither of these forms is quite how the theorem was stated in it’s original proof by Carl Friedrich Gauss. In fact, the theorem can be stated in a number of ways while still retaining the same meaning. Before delving into particulars on this, let’s talk about the reasons behind the necessity of discussing (and furthermore proving) the theorem. We will try to take an approach to answer those age-old type questions we hear from high school students. “What in the world does the theorem say” Telling a high school student that we can take any complex polynomial and find all n roots of it no matter what polynomial we are given may be a bit like telling a small child that gravity is a big reason why it hasn’t yet figured out how to walk. The first clarification then may be to explain what is meant by the word “root.” When we say an equation has a root, we mean that it has a value that evaluates it to zero. For instance, f (x) = 7x − 14 will evaluate to zero when x is 2. An early