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Part BCSIR NET June 2024cross-terms-do-not-imply-indefinite

Cross terms do not imply indefinite

For a quadratic form , we say that is a zero of f if f(a, b, c) = 0. Which of the following quadratic forms has at least one zero different from (0, 0, 0)?

  1. A.
  2. B.xy
  3. C.xy − 2yz
  4. D.

You have the answer. Trap Analysis is why the other three were written.

Not a worked solution repeated four times — the specific reasoning error each wrong option was built to reward.

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50 are analysed free — try those first.

Related counterexample: Every real symmetric matrix is positive definite if det > 0

More on this topic

The chapter behind this: Quadratic forms, signature and definiteness — free to read

From Inner Product Spaces and FormsQuadratic forms, positive definiteness, Sylvester's law

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