Nested radical mania

Algebra Level 2

If x = 3 x 4 + 4 4 4 4 \sqrt { \sqrt { \sqrt { x } } } =\sqrt [ 4 ]{ \sqrt [ 4 ]{ \sqrt [ 4 ]{ 3{ x }^{ 4 }+4 } } } , then the value of x 4 { x }^{ 4 } is


The answer is 4.

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4 solutions

As we can see that the RHS of the equation is of the power 1/4 and the LHS is of the power 1/2. So, we need to see that if we raise the equation to power 4, it would not do any harm as the LHS will get its too "under roots" removed.

x = 3 x 4 + 4 4 4 4 \sqrt { \sqrt { \sqrt { x } } } =\quad \sqrt [ 4 ]{ \sqrt [ 4 ]{ \sqrt [ 4 ]{ 3{ x }^{ 4 }+4 } } }

R a i s i n g b o t h t h e s i d e s t o p o w e r 4 Raising\quad both\quad the\quad sides\quad to\quad power\quad '4'

x = 3 x 4 + 4 4 4 \sqrt { x } \quad =\quad \sqrt [ 4 ]{ \sqrt [ 4 ]{ 3{ x }^{ 4 }+4 } }

R a i s i n g b o t h t h e s i d e s a g a i n t o p o w e r 4 Raising\quad both\quad the\quad sides\quad again\quad to\quad power\quad '4'

x 2 = 3 x 4 + 4 4 { x }^{ 2 }\quad =\quad \sqrt [ 4 ]{ 3{ x }^{ 4 }+4 }

R a i s i n g b o t h t h e s i d e s a g a i n t o p o w e r 4 Raising\quad both\quad the\quad sides\quad again\quad to\quad power\quad '4'

x 8 = 3 x 4 + 4 { x }^{ 8 }\quad =\quad 3{ x }^{ 4 }+4

This equation has now become quadratic in ' x 4 { x }^{ 4 } '. Solving the roots of this equation, we get

x 4 = 3 ± 5 2 { x }^{ 4 }\quad =\quad \frac { 3\pm 5 }{ 2 }

Or, x 4 = 4 , 1 { x }^{ 4 }\quad =\quad 4,-1

But, since value of x 4 { x }^{ 4 } can't be negative, Therefore,

x = 4 x\quad =\quad 4

Cheers!!:)

great solution!!!:D:D..but there's a tiny error in the final statement...

Krishna Ramesh - 6 years, 10 months ago

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Thnx @Krishna Ramesh , and please tell me my error. You are talking about x^4 not being negative, right?? I was talking about all the real numbers and not imaginary...

A Former Brilliant Member - 6 years, 10 months ago

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No, no that statement is correct. You have written that x=4... actually x^4=4

Krishna Ramesh - 6 years, 10 months ago

I got the equation upto x^8= 3x^4 +4 Can you please tell How to solve it further??

Mehul Arora - 6 years, 6 months ago

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Although it looks like an octic(that is,a degree-8)equation(and it is).But if you replace x 4 x^4 with y y meaning that you put x 4 = y x^4=y in the above equation (which can be written as ( x 4 ) 2 3 x 4 4 = 0 (x^4)^2-3x^4-4=0 )you get y 2 3 y 4 = 0 y^2-3y-4=0 which has solutions y = 4 , 1 y=4,-1 .But y = x 4 y=x^4 ,so x 4 = 4 , 1 x^4=4,-1 but x^4 cannot have negative real values(to see this for yourself,draw the graph of x 4 x^4 )so x 4 = 4 x^4=4 .Hope you understand what I said.

Abdur Rehman Zahid - 6 years, 6 months ago

nice solution

Abhishek Chopra - 6 years, 6 months ago
Sonali Srivastava
Jul 21, 2014

x^1/8=(3x^4+4)^1/64....raise both the sides to power 64 to get x^8-3x^4-4=0 ....(x^4+1)(x^4-4)=0... x^4=-1,4 negative no. is not possible hence 4

Chew-Seong Cheong
Nov 23, 2014

Similar to Sonali Srivastava's:

x = 3 x 4 + 4 4 4 4 ( ( x 1 2 ) 1 2 ) 1 2 = ( ( ( 3 x 4 + 4 ) 1 4 ) 1 4 ) 1 4 \sqrt {\sqrt{\sqrt {x}}} = \sqrt [ 4 ] { \sqrt [ 4 ] { \sqrt [ 4 ] {3x^4 +4 }}} \quad \Rightarrow ((x^{\frac{1}{2}})^{\frac{1}{2}})^{\frac{1}{2}} = (( (3x^4+4)^{\frac{1}{4}})^{\frac{1}{4}})^{\frac{1}{4}}

x 1 8 = ( 3 x 4 + 4 ) 1 64 x 64 8 = ( 3 x 4 + 4 ) 64 64 x 8 = 3 x 4 + 4 x^{\frac{1}{8}} = (3x^4+4)^{\frac{1}{64}} \quad \Rightarrow x^{\frac{64}{8}} = (3x^4+4)^{\frac{64}{64}} \quad \Rightarrow x^8 = 3x^4+4

( x 4 ) 2 3 x 4 4 = 0 x 4 = 3 ± 9 4 ( 4 ) 2 = 3 + 5 2 = 4 (x^4)^2 - 3x^4 - 4 = 0 \quad \Rightarrow x^4 = \frac {3\pm \sqrt{9-4(-4)} } {2} = \frac {3+5}{2} = \boxed {4} (since x > 0 x > 0 )

Radha Krishnan B
Jul 20, 2014

By taking off all radicals by rising all to the power of 64, we get a quadratic in x^4 and 4 is one of answers

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