I can't test them all!

Algebra Level 3

Find the number of integer values of x x satisfying

x 3 + 2 x + 4 + x 11. | x-3 |+| 2x+4|+| x |\le 11.


The answer is 6.

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2 solutions

Rishabh Jain
Feb 22, 2016

Let f ( x ) = x 3 + 2 x + 4 + x f(x)=| x-3 |+| 2x+4|+| x | f ( x ) = { 4 x 1 x < 2 7 2 x < 0 2 x + 7 0 x < 3 4 x + 1 x 3 f(x)=\begin{cases} -4x-1&x<-2\\7 &-2\leq x<0 \\2x+7& 0\leq x<3 \\4x+1& x\geq 3\end{cases} f ( x ) 11 f(x)\leq 11 \implies f ( x ) = { 4 x 1 11 x < 2 7 11 2 x < 0 2 x + 7 11 0 x < 3 4 x + 1 11 x 3 f(x)=\begin{cases} -4x-1\leq 11&x<-2\\7\leq 11 &-2\leq x<0 \\2x+7\leq 11& 0\leq x<3 \\4x+1\leq 11 & x\geq 3\end{cases} Fourth case gives null set while from other three cases we get 3 x < 2 -3\leq x<-2 , 2 x < 0 -2\leq x<0 and 0 x 2 0\leq x\leq2 respectively in which integral solutions are 3 , 2 , 1 , 0 , 1 , 2 -3,-2,-1,0,1,2 . Hence a total of 6 \Large \boxed{6} .

Can 7 be considered as solution ?

sindhu ganta - 2 years, 8 months ago

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Can you reason why you think so? Anyway, 6 is the only solution.

Akshay Krishna - 2 years, 5 months ago
Pi Han Goh
Jun 21, 2019

For integer x x . We know that x 3 |x-3| and x |x| represent distinct non-negative integers, so the sum x 3 + x |x-3| + |x| must be larger than 1.

Thus, 2 x + 4 |2x + 4| must be less than 11 1 = 10 11-1=10 , 2 x + 2 < 10 x + 2 < 5 7 < x < 3. 2 |x+2| < 10 \quad \Rightarrow \quad |x+2| < 5 \quad \Rightarrow \quad -7 < x < 3 .

Do trial and error on these 9 possible solutions shows that x = 3 , 2 , , 2 x = -3,-2,\ldots, 2 are the only solutions. The answers is 6 \boxed6 .

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