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Descartes Rule of Signs

Introduction
Given a polynomial P (x) = an xn + an1 xn1 + + a1 x + a0 with real coeffi-
cients, the Rational Zero Test provides an easy method for isolating the possible
zeros of the polynomial that are rational numbers. Of course, the list of possi-
ble rational zeros can be lengthy. The Rational Zero Test does not give direct
information concerning irrational zeros and complex zeros. The Fundamental
Theorem of Algebra guarantees that every polynomial of degree n has exactly
n complex zeros (which includes all real zeros), counting multiplicities. In ad-
dition, complex zeros occur in conjugate pairs. This provides good information
about the zeros of a polynomial but does not address the question of finding the
zeros. In general, calculating exact zeros is a difficult problem and much effort
is given in computer science to finding efficient algorithms for finding or approx-
imating zeros. Graphing software is useful in isolating zeros when dealing with
relatively well behaved polynomials. For example, a graph of the polynomial
can be used to eliminate possible rational zeros narrowing the search.
The 17th-century philosopher and mathematician Rene Descartes is credited
with discovering a test, which is still useful today in mathematics and computer
science, for discovering the maximum number of positive and negative real zeros.
This test provides additional information about the zeros of a polynomial that
is used, for example, in the construction of algorithms for isolating intervals
containing real zeros.

Suppose that P (x) is a polynomial written in descending powers of x. We

say that P (x) has a variation in sign whenever adjacent coefficients are opposite
in sign. For example, the polynomial

4x7 +3x5 x4 2x3 + 5x2 +2x 7

| {z } | {z } | {z }
+to to+ +to
has three variations in sign. The number of sign changes gives an indication of
the number of possible positive zeros.

THEOREM 1 (Descartes Rule of Signs) Let P (x) be a polynomial with real

coefficients.
1. The number of positive zeros of P is either equal to the number of
variations in sign of P (x) or less than this by an even number.
2. The number of negative real zeros of P is either equal to the number of
variations in sign of P (x) or less than this by an even number.

Notice that Descartes Rule of Signs gives information about the number of
real zeros, not just about the number of rational zeros.
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EXAMPLE 1 Use Descartes Rule of Signs to determine the number of possible positive and
negative real solutions of the equation
P (x) = 2x7 + 15x6 + 31x5 x4 49x3 52x2 78x 36 = 0.
Solution Since P (x) has only one variation in sign (between 31x5 and x4 ), the poly-
nomial has exactly one positive real zero. To determine the number of possible
negative real zeros, replace x with x in P (x) to produce
P (x) = 2(x)7 + 15(x)6 + 31(x)5 (x)4 49(x)3 52(x)2
78(x) 36
= 2x7 + 15x6 31x5 x4 + 49x3 52x2 + 78x 36.
There are six variations of sign in P (x), so there are either six, four, two,
or zero negative real zeros. Hence the polynomial can have either one, three,
five, or seven real zeros, and exactly one of these is positive. The Rational Zero
Test tells us that the rational possibilities for zeros are many:
divisors of 36 1 3 9
= 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36, , , .
divisors of 2 2 2 2
The graph in Figure 1(a) on the interval [0, 2] indicates that the positive zero
is at x = 23 . The graph in Figure 1(b) shows negative zeros at 2, at 3,
and somewhere in the intervals (3.5, 3) and (1, 0.5). Since there are no
rational zero candidates in either of these two intervals, there are exactly five
real zeros, three of which are rational, at x = 3, x = 2, and x = 32 , and two
of which are irrational. Figure 1(c) gives a reasonable sketch of the graph. 

y y y
200 200 200

100 100 100

24 22 2 x 24 22 2 x 24 22 2 x

2100 2100 2100

2200 2200 2200

Figure 1

Complex Zeros
Because complex zeros must occur in conjugate pairs of the same multiplicity,
a polynomial of even degree might have only complex zeros. But a polynomial
of odd degree must have at least one zero that is real. If we add the information
from Descartes Rule of Signs and the Intermediate Value Theorem, we can often
determine the character of the zeros, if not their precise location, as shown in
the following example.
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EXAMPLE 2 Determine possibilities for the zeros of the following polynomials:

a. P (x) = x3 5x2 + 2x + 1
b. Q(x) = 2x5 4x4 + 3x3 x + 3

Solution a. There are two sign changes for P (x), so Descartes Rule of Signs implies
that there are either 2 or 0 positive zeros. Because P (0) > 0 and P (1) < 0,
the Intermediate Value Theorem implies that there is at least one, and
consequently two, positive zeros.
Experimenting further, we find that P (4) < 0 but P (5) > 0, so the positive
zeros lie in the intervals (0, 1) and (4, 5). Since P (x) has only one additional
zero, it cannot be complexcomplex zeros come in conjugate pairsso the
remaining zero must be negative. This also follows from Descartes Rule of
Signs, since
P (x) = x3 5x2 2x + 1

has only one change in sign. Since P (1) < 0 and P (0) > 0, the negative
root lies in the interval (1, 0). The graph of y = P (x) is shown in Figure
2.
b. The degree of the polynomial Q(x) is odd, so it must have at least one real
zero. Complex zeros occur in conjugate pairs, so the number of real zeros
must either be 1, 3, or 5. Since Q(x) has four changes in sign, Descartes
Rule of Signs implies that there are either 4, 2 or 0 positive real zeros.
The polynomial

Q(x) = 2x5 4x4 3x3 + x + 3

has only one sign change, so Descartes Rule of Signs implies that there is
precisely one negative real zero of Q. In fact, this zero lies in the interval
(1, 0), since Q(1) < 0 and Q(0) > 0.

y y
8

4 5
Q(x) 5 2x5 2 4x4 1 3x3 2 x 1 3

5 x

25 5 x
28

212 P(x) 5 x3 2 5x2 1 2x 1 1

Figure 2 Figure 3
From this analysis we can conclude that there are three possibilities for the
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zeros of Q(x):

1 negative real zero 4 positive real zeros 0 complex zeros

1 negative real zero 2 positive real zeros 2 complex zeros
1 negative real zero 0 positive real zeros 4 complex zeros
The computer generated graph of y = Q(x) in Figure 3 shows that the last
possibility is the most likely. 

Exercise Set
In Exercises 14, use Descartes Rule of Signs to determine the maximum num-
ber of positive and negative zeros.

1. P (x) = 6x4 + 5x3 14x2 + x + 2

2. P (x) = 9x4 9x3 19x2 + x + 2
3. P (x) = x5 + 2x4 x 2
4. P (x) = x5 2x4 9x3 + 8x2 22x + 24

In Exercises 58, use Descartes Rule of Signs to determine possibilities for the
zeros of the polynomial. Then find all zeros, factor the polynomial completely,
and sketch the graph.

5. P (x) = x5 + 4x4 2x3 14x2 3x 18

6. P (x) = 2x6 7x5 + 15x4 26x3 + 28x2 15x + 3
7. P (x) = 4x4 17x3 + 28x2 22x + 4
8. P (x) = x5 2x4 + 6x3 + 24x2 + 5x + 26
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Answers to Exercises

1. Since P (x) = 6x4 + 5x3 14x2 + x + 2 has 2 sign changes the maximum
number of positive real zeros is 2. Since P (x) = 6x4 5x3 14x2 x + 2
has 2 sign changes the maximum number of negative real zeros is 2.

3. Since P (x) = x5 + 2x4 x 2 has 1 sign changes there is exactly 1

positive real zero. Since P (x) = x5 + 2x4 + x 2 has 2 sign changes
the maximum number of negative real zeros is 2.

5. Since P (x) = x5 + 4x4 2x3 14x2 3x 18 has 1 sign changes there

is 1 positive real zero. Since P (x) = x5 + 4x4 + 2x3 14x2 + 3x 18
has 4 sign changes the maximum number of negative real zeros is 4. In
addition, complex zeros occur in conjugate pairs, so the only possibilities
for negative real zeros are 4, 0, and 2. The possibilities for the zeros of
P (x) are:

positive real zeros negative real zeros complex zeros

1 4 0
1 2 2
1 0 4

The figure indicates that the second case in the table describes the zeros
of the polynomial. Notice that the negative real root has multiplicity 2.

7. Since P (x) = 4x4 17x3 + 28x2 22x + 4 has 4 sign changes the maximum
number of positive real zeros is 4. Since P (x) = 4x4 +17x3 +28x2 +22x+4
has 0 sign changes there are no negative real zeros. In addition, complex
zeros occur in conjugate pairs, so the only possibilities for positive real
zeros are 4, 0, and 2. The possibilities for the zeros of P (x) are:
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positive real zeros negative real zeros complex zeros

4 0 0
2 0 2
0 0 4
The figure indicates that the second case in the table describes the zeros
of the polynomial.