What is the smallest integer for which for every real value of ?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A.

  1. Step 1: The parabola opens upwards, so it stays above the axis exactly when the discriminant is negative: .
  2. Step 2: This gives , and the smallest integer greater than is .
Answer
.
Why not the others: gives , which is zero at , not positive; gives , negative at . and also work but are not the smallest.

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