Given a real constant, \(c\), the equation \[x^4=(x-c)^2\] has four real solutions (including possible repeated roots) for
- \(c\leq \frac{1}{4}\),
- \(-\frac{1}{4} \leq c \leq \frac{1}{4}\),
- \(c \leq -\frac{1}{4}\),
- all values of \(c\).
How could we turn this question into a question about quadratics?
Remember that there are two possible solutions when we solve an equation of the form \(y^2=a\).
The blue curve is \(y = x^4 - (x-c)^2\).
What could we say about this curve when the above equation has “four real solutions”?