Please can anyone solve this?
in Algebra 2 Answers by

Your answer

Your name to display (optional):
Privacy: Your email address will only be used for sending these notifications.
Anti-spam verification:
To avoid this verification in future, please log in or register.

1 Answer

If this is (a+bc)x=(d+ef)x, then a+bc=d+ef and x can have any value.

If this is a+b(cx)=d+e(fx), then there can be no definitive answer because constraints will be imposed on the constants. 

b(cx)-e(fx)=d-a.

CASE 1: d=a

b(cx)=e(fx), (c/f)x=e/b, xlog(c/f)=log(e/b), x=log(e/b)/log(c/f).

It would appear that x=(log(e)-log(b))/(log(c)-log(f)), but if any of b, c, e or f are negative, x cannot be evaluated.

Furthermore, if either c or f is negative then there's a problem for certain values of x. For example, if x=0.5 and c or f is negative, then we would have √c or √f, which is an imaginary number, implying that the domain (x) is discontinuous. If, however, x=⅓, c and f can be negative (-c and -f) be cause their cube roots exist as -∛c and -∛f. The question doesn't qualify the constants, but here is a clear constraint: c,f≥0.

CASE 2: c=f=p>0

b(px)-e(px)=d-a, px(b-e)=d-a, px=(d-a)/(b-e), xlog(p)=log(d-a)-log(b-e), x=(log(d-a)-log(b-e))/log(p).

But this can only be evaluated if d>a and b>e; or d<a and b<e, so x=(log(a-d)-log(e-b))/log(p).

CASE 3: c=f=0

b and e are arbitrary constants and a=d. x can be any value.

CASE 4 a≠d, c,f>0

The way to check this out is to let y=d-a and plot y=b(cx)-e(fx). On the same graph, plot y=d-a (a horizontal line). If the line intersects the curve, there is a unique solution for x; otherwise there is no solution for x.

The four cases show that there can be no general formula for calculating x.

by Top Rated User (1.1m points)

Related questions

2 answers
Welcome to MathHomeworkAnswers.org, where students, teachers and math enthusiasts can ask and answer any math question. Get help and answers to any math problem including algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus, trigonometry, fractions, solving expression, simplifying expressions and more. Get answers to math questions. Help is always 100% free!
87,542 questions
99,805 answers
2,417 comments
523,382 users