Infinite square roots

Algebra Level 2

To 2 decimal places, approximate

3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + . \sqrt { 3+\sqrt { 3+\sqrt { 3+\sqrt { 3+\cdots} } } }.


This problem is part of the set Hard Equations .


The answer is 2.30.

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6 solutions

what do you do if it's a cube root instead

Jerry Bao - 5 years, 10 months ago

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Nothing but to solve the equation:x³-x-3=0,where x>0(cuz the number in the cube is a positive number),then you can figure out x≈1.671699882

Luke Smith - 9 months, 2 weeks ago
William Isoroku
Dec 23, 2014

Let x = 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + . . . . . x=\sqrt { 3+\sqrt { 3+\sqrt { 3+\sqrt { 3+..... } } } }

Then x 2 = 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + . . . . . { x }^{ 2 }=3+\sqrt { 3+\sqrt { 3+\sqrt { 3+..... } } } which is x 2 x 3 = 0 { x }^{ 2 }-x-3=0

Solving this quadratic equation gives 1.3 -1.3 and 2.3 2.3

Of course x x has to be positive so the answer is 2.3 \boxed{2.3}

Keith Fife
Dec 23, 2014

I basically produced the same solution :). Isn't funny how -0.25 will produce a real value, yet 1 / 4 \sqrt {-1/4} = i 2 \frac{i}{2} , is imaginary ?

Curtis Clement - 6 years, 5 months ago
Gamal Sultan
Dec 23, 2014

Let the given expression be X

Then

X^2 = 3 + X Then X = 2.3027756

Anna Anant
Dec 24, 2014

√(3+√3+...)=x x²=3+x x²-x-3=0 (1+√13)/2 approximately 2.30

Christian Zinck
Dec 15, 2014

Set the expression equal to x. x = (x+3)^.5, because the expression is infinite. Square both sides and rearrange in quadratic form: x^2 - x - 3. The only positive root of the quadratic is approximately 2.30 to 2 decimal places.

Well let this be x. So we get 3+x =x² (after squaring) X²-x-3=0 By -b±√D/2a So it would be 1±√13/2 Ie. 1+3.60/2 =4.60/2 =2.30

Aaryan Jain - 6 years, 5 months ago

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