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Forum URL: http://www.cut-the-knot.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/forumctk.cgi
Forum Name: College math
Topic ID: 495
Message ID: 6
#6, RE: can you quinsect?
Posted by Ruben Hogenhout on May-16-09 at 09:55 PM
In response to message #4
Hello I don t know much about geometrie but I want to remark
that the given quintic :

x^5 -5t*x^3 + 5t^2*x -2q = 0 is always solvable(!)

(thus for any value of b )

as a sum of two quintic roots. ( b = 2q ) ( t = 1 )

x = u + t/u will do.

x = (q + (q^2 -t^5 )^(1/2) )^(1/5) + (q - (q^2 -t^5 )^(1/2) )^(1/5)

Gives a perfect solution.

I think it is not possible to constuct with ruler and compass.

Greetings Ruben Hogenhout