Chapter 03.

02
Solution of Cubic Equations

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

1. find the exact solution of a general cubic equation.
How to Find the Exact Solution of a General Cubic Equation
In this chapter, we are going to find the exact solution of a general cubic equation
ax 3 bx 2 cx d 0

To find the roots of Equation (1), we first get rid of the quadratic term x
substitution
x y

(1)
by making the

b
3a

(2)

to obtain
b

a y

3a

b y

3a

c y
d 0
3a

(3)

Expanding Equation (3) and simplifying, we obtain the following equation

b2
2b 3
bc
ay 3 c y d
0
2
3a
3a
27 a

(4)

Equation (4) is called the depressed cubic since the quadratic term is absent. Having the
equation in this form makes it easier to solve for the roots of the cubic equation (Click here to
know the history behind solving cubic equations exactly).
First, convert the depressed cubic Equation (4) into the form
y3

1
b2
1
2b 3
bc
c y d
0
2
a
3a
a
3a
27 a

y 3 ey f 0

where

03.02.1

1
b2
c

a
3a

1
2b 3
bc
d

2
a
3a
27a

(5)

03.02.2

Chapter 03.02

Now, reduce the above equation using Vietas substitution

y z

s
z

(6)

For the time being, the constant

Equation (5), we get

s
z
z

s is undefined. Substituting into the depressed cubic

e z f 0
z

(7)

Expanding out and multiplying both sides by z 3 , we get

z 6 3s e z 4 fz 3 s 3s e z 2 s 3 0
(8)
e
Now, let s ( s is no longer undefined) to simplify the equation into a tri-quadratic
3

equation.
z 6 fz 3

e3
0
27

(9)

By making one more substitution, w z 3 , we now have a general quadratic equation which
can be solved using the quadratic formula.
w 2 fw

e3
0
27

(10)

Once you obtain the solution to this quadratic equation, back substitute using the previous
substitutions to obtain the roots to the general cubic equation.
wz yx
where we assumed
(11)
w z3
y z
s

s
z

e
3

x y

(12)
b
3a

Note: You will get two roots for w as Equation (10) is a quadratic equation. Using
Equation (11) would then give you three roots for each of the two roots of w , hence
giving you six root values for z . But the six root values of z would give you six values of
y ( Equation (6) ); but three values of y will be identical to the other three. So one gets
only three values of y , and hence three values of x . (Equation (2))
Example 1
Find the roots of the following cubic equation.
x 3 9 x 2 36 x 80 0

Solution

For the general form given by Equation (1)

ax3 bx 2 cx d 0

we have
a 1 , b 9 , c 36 , d 80

Solution of Cubic Equations

03.02.3

in
x 3 9 x 2 36 x 80 0

(E1-1)

Equation (E1-1) is reduced to

y 3 ey f 0

where
1
b2
c

a
3a

1
9
36
1
31

and
1
2b 3
bc
d

2
a
3a
27 a
3
9 36
1
2 9
80

2
1
31
271
26

giving
y 3 9 y 26 0

For the general form given by Equation (5)

y 3 ey f 0

we have
e 9 , f 26
in Equation (E1-2).
From Equation (12)
e
3
9

3
3

From Equation (10)

e3
0
27
93
w 2 26 w
0
27
w 2 26 w 27 0

w 2 fw

where
and

w z3
s
z
3
z
z

y z

(E1-2)

03.02.4

Chapter 03.02

26

27,1

26 2 41 27
21

The solution is

w1 27
w2 1

Since
w z3
z3 w
For w w1
z 3 w1
27
27e i 0

Since

w z3

re i ue i

u 3 e 3i

r cos i sin u 3 cos 3 i sin 3

resulting in
r u3
cos cos 3
sin sin 3
Since sin and cos are periodic of 2 ,
3 2k
2k

3
k will take the value of 0, 1 and 2 before repeating the same values of

So,

2k
, k 0, 1, 2
3

1
3

2
2
3
4
3
3
So roots of w z 3 are

z1 r 3 cos i sin
3
3

1
2
2

z 2 r 3 cos
i sin

3
3

1
4
4

z 3 r 3 cos
i sin

3
3

Solution of Cubic Equations

gives
z1 27

1/ 3

cos

0
0
i sin
3
3

0 2
0 2
i sin

3
3

2
2

3 cos
i sin

3
3

z 2 27

1/ 3

cos

1
3

3 i

2
2

3
3 3
i
2
2

0 4
0 4
i sin

3
3

4
4

3 cos
i sin

3
3

z 3 27

1/ 3

cos

1
3

3 i

2
2

3
3 3
i
2
2

Since
yz

3
z

3
z1
3
3
3

y1 z1

y2 z 2

3
z2

3
3 3
3
i

2
2

3 i3 3

2
2

5 3i 3

1 i 3

5 3i 3 1 i 3

1 i 3 1 i 3

1 i 2 3

y3 z3

3
z3

03.02.5

03.02.6

Chapter 03.02

3
3 3
3

i

2
2

3
3 3

2
2

5 i3 3

1 i 3
5 i3 3 1 i 3

1 i 3
1 i 3
1 i 2 3

Since

x y3

x1 y1 3
23
5
x2 y 2 3

1 i2 3 3
2 i2 3

x3 y 3 3

1 i2 3 3
2 i2 3

The roots of the original cubic equation

x 3 9 x 2 36 x 80 0
are x1 , x2 , and x3 , that is,
5 , 2 i2 3 , 2 i2 3

Verifying
gives
Using

x 5 x 2 i 2

3 x 2 i2 3 0

x 3 9 x 2 36 x 80 0
w2 1

would yield the same values of the three roots of the equation. Try it.
Example 2
Find the roots of the following cubic equation
x 3 0.03x 2 2.4 10 6 0

Solution

For the general form

ax 3 bx 2 cx d 0

a 1, b 0.03, c 0, d 2.4 10 6

Depress the cubic equation by letting (Equation (2))

x y

b
3a

Solution of Cubic Equations

y

03.02.7

0.03
31

y 0.01

Substituting the above equation into the cubic equation and simplifying, we get

y 3 3 10 4 y 4 10 7 0

That gives e 3 10 and f 4 10 7 for Equation (5), that is, y 3 ey f 0 .

Now, solve the depressed cubic equation by using Vietas substitution as
4

y z

to obtain

s
z

z 6 3s 3 10 4 z 4 4 10 7 z 3 s 3s 3 10 4 z 2 s 3 0

Letting

e
3 10 4

10 4
3
3

we get the following tri-quadratic equation

z 6 4 10 7 z 3 1 10 12 0

Using the following conversion, w z 3 , we get a general quadratic equation

w 2 4 10 7 w 1 10 12 0

Using the quadratic equation, the solutions for

w

4 10

7 2

4 10 7

giving

21

w are

41 1 10 12

w1 2 10 7 i 9.79795897113 10 7
w2 2 10 7 i 9.7979589711 3 10 7
Each solution of w z 3 yields three values of z . The three values of
rectangular form.
Since
Then
Let
then

w z3

zw

1
3

w r cos i sin re i
z u cos i sin ue i

This gives
w z3

re i ue i

u 3 e 3i

r cos i sin u 3 cos 3 i sin 3

resulting in
r u3
cos cos 3
sin sin 3

from w1 are in

03.02.8

Chapter 03.02

Since sin and cos are periodic of 2 ,

3 2k
2k

3
k will take the value of 0, 1 and 2 before repeating the same values of

So,

2k
, k 0, 1, 2
3

1
3

2
2
3
4
3
3
So the roots of w z 3 are
1

z1 r 3 cos i sin
3
3

2
2

z 2 r 3 cos
i sin

3
3

1
4
4

z 3 r 3 cos
i sin

3
3

So for

w1 2 10 7 i 9.79795897113 10 7

2 10

7 2

9.79795897113 10 7

1 10 6
9.79795897113 10 7
tan 1
2 10 7
1.772154248 (2nd quadrant because y (the numerator) is positive and

denominator) is negative)
1.772154248
1.772154248

z1 1 10
i sin
cos

3
3

0.008305409517 i 0.005569575635
1
1.772154248 2
1.772154248 2

z 2 1 10 6 3 cos
i sin

3
3

1
6 3

0.008976098746 i 0.004407907815

z 3 1 10

1
6 3

cos

1.772154248 4
1.772154248 4
i sin

3
3

0.0006706892313 i 0.009977483448

Compiling

z1 0.008305409518 i 0.005569575634
z 2 0.008976098746 i 0.004407907814

x (the

Solution of Cubic Equations

03.02.9

z 3 6.70689228525 10 4 i 0.009977483448
Similarly, the three values of z from w2 in rectangular form are
z 4 0.008305409518 i 0.005569575634
z 5 0.008976098746 i 0.004407907814

z 6 6.70689228525 10 4 i 0.009977483448

Using Vietas substitution (Equation (6)),

s
z
1 10 4
y z
z

y z

we back substitute to find three values for y .

For example, choosing

z1 0.008305409518 i 0.005569575634

gives
y1 0.008305409518 i 0.005569575634
0.008305409518 i 0.005569575634

1 10 4
0.008305409518 i 0.005569575634

1 10 4
0.008305409518 i 0.00556957634

0.008305409078 i 0.00556957634 0.008305409518 i 0.00556957634

0.008305409518 i 0.005569575634

1 10 4
0.008305409518 i0.00556957634
1 10 4
0.016610819036
The values of z1 , z 2 and z 3 give
y1 0.016610819036
y 2 0.01795219749
y 3 0.001341378457
respectively. The three other z values of z 4 , z 5 and z 6 give the same values as y1 , y 2
and y 3 , respectively.

Now, using the substitution of

x y 0.01

the three roots of the given cubic equation are

x1 0.016610819036 0.01
0.026610819036
x 2 0.01795219749 0.01
0.00795219749

x3 0.001341378457 0.01

0.0113413784 57

NONLINEAR EQUATIONS
Topic
Exact Solution to Cubic Equations

03.02.10
Summary
Major
Authors
Last Revised
Web Site

Chapter 03.02
Textbook notes on finding the exact solution to a cubic
equation.
General Engineering
Autar Kaw
September 11, 2015
http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu