A and B

If a b = c , c + 1 = a \dfrac{a}{b} = c, c + 1 = a , and all variables are whole numbers, what also must be true?

a > b a = b a < b

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2 solutions

Marta Reece
Jul 17, 2017

a b = c = a 1 \frac ab=c=a-1

b = a a 1 {\color{#3D99F6}b=\frac a{a-1}}

a b = a 1 \frac ab=a-1

a = a b b a=ab-b

a ( b 1 ) = b a(b-1)=b

a = b b 1 {\color{#3D99F6}a=\frac b{b-1}}

The blue expressions are symmetrical and can be satisfied with a = b = 2 a=b=2

Gabriel Vasto
Jan 23, 2019

Giving that c is a whole number, the only two possible cases is a>b or a=b. If a>b in order for c to be a whole number, a must be a multiple of b, or a=kb, where k is another whole number. But this implies that c=k, and hence k+1=a=kb, which leads to k=1/(b-1), a clearly contradiction, since k must be a whole number. If a=b Then we have c=1, a=2 and b=2, all of them being whole numbers. Therefore, a=b is the correct answer.

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