What is the general equation of a cubic polynomial? I had this question:
"Find the cubic equation whose roots are the the squares of that of $x^3 + 2x + 1 = 0$"
and I kind of solved it. In that my answer was $x^3 - 4x^2 + 4x + 1$, but it was actually $x^3 + 4x^2 + 4x - 1 = 0$.
I took the general equation of a cubic equation, which was: $x^3 +bx^2/a + cx/a + d/a$.
Through simultaneous equations, I found what $b/a, c/a, d/a$ should equate to for my unknown cubic polynomial. Am I supposed to make $b/a, c/a, d/a$ all positive, then substitute it into the general formula?
Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Let $a$ be a root of $x^3+2x+1=0$ and $b=a^2$ be  a root of the required equation 
So, $a^3+2a+1=0\implies a\cdot b+2a+1=0\implies a=-\frac1{b+2}$
As $a$ be a root of $x^3+2x+1=0$, put this value of $a$ in $x^3+2x+1=0$
On simplification, I get $(b+2)^3-2(b+2)^2-1=0\iff b^3+4b^2+4b-1=0$ 
So, the required equation will be $y^3+4y^2+4y-1=0$
