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Root of a random cubic in the unit interval

Question

Let MM and NN be independent and uniform on (0,1)(0,1), and fix 0<c<20<c<2. Write p(c)p(c) for the chance that the equation Mx3+Nx=cMx^3+Nx=c is satisfied by some xx strictly between 00 and 11. It is possible to express p(c)=1−[(ac2+bc+d) 1{0<c<1}+(rc2+sc+t) 1{1<c<2}]p(c)=1-\Big[(ac^2+bc+d)\,\mathbf{1}_{\{0<c<1\}}+(rc^2+sc+t)\,\mathbf{1}_{\{1<c<2\}}\Big] for rational constants a,b,d,r,s,ta,b,d,r,s,t. What is a+b+d+r+s+ta+b+d+r+s+t?

Short answer

11. The map x↦Mx3+Nxx\mapsto Mx^3+Nx is strictly increasing from 00 at x=0x=0 to M+NM+N at x=1x=1, so a root exists iff M+N>cM+N>c. Hence the bracket is the CDF of M+NM+N: c22\tfrac{c^2}{2} on (0,1)(0,1) and −c22+2c−1-\tfrac{c^2}{2}+2c-1 on (1,2)(1,2). The coefficients sum to 12+0+0−12+2−1=1\tfrac12+0+0-\tfrac12+2-1=1.

Adapted from QuantQuestions.io; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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