Not enough information!

Algebra Level 2

If x x and y y are real numbers such that x + y = 7 x+y=7 and x 3 + y 3 = 133 x^3+y^3=133 , find the value of x y xy .


The answer is 10.

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47 solutions

Sharky Kesa
Jul 29, 2014

x 3 + y 3 = ( x + y ) ( x 2 + y 2 x y ) x^3 + y^3 = (x + y)(x^2 +y^2 -xy)

133 = 7 ( x 2 + y 2 + 2 x y 3 x y ) 133 = 7(x^2 + y^2 + 2xy -3xy)

19 = ( x + y ) 2 3 x y 19 = (x + y)^2 - 3xy

19 = 49 3 x y 19 = 49 - 3xy

30 = 3 x y 30 = 3xy

10 = x y 10=xy

FYI, x x and y y are 2 and 5.

Sharky Kesa - 6 years, 10 months ago

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Why did people downvote this comment? He's right...

Cody Johnson - 6 years, 10 months ago

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Jealousy I guess

Quest Underwood - 4 years, 8 months ago

Hmm... yes. Why did this happen?

Sharky Kesa - 6 years, 10 months ago

Exactly it's 2 and 5

Lisa Kydd - 5 years, 7 months ago

obviously and of course the product is 10.

Hearty Andaloc - 5 years, 8 months ago

replying 6 years and 9 months late(Nice) to say: how did you find the solution? is it just a guess or can it be proven algebraically

Oximas omar - 1 month, 2 weeks ago

Correct :D

Victor Loh - 6 years, 10 months ago

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Why'd you call it "Not enough information!"?

Sharky Kesa - 6 years, 10 months ago

You should have used the identity: ( x + y ) 3 = x 3 + y 3 + 3 x y ( x + y ) (x+y)^{3} = x^{3} + y^{3} + 3xy(x+y)

Dhruv Tyagi - 5 years, 11 months ago

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My way is more simple.

Sharky Kesa - 5 years, 11 months ago

How you all know x3+y3 is equal to (x+y)(x2+y2-xy)? Please teach me.

william lam - 6 years, 10 months ago

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because x 3 + y 3 x^{3}+y^{3} is a sum of perfect cubes. As such, it has the special factorization of x 3 + y 3 = ( x + y ) ( x 2 x y + y 2 ) x^{3}+y^{3}=(x+y)(x^{2}-xy+y^{2})

Adam Bachmann - 6 years, 10 months ago

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so what is the xy there? in (x2-XY+y2)? i'm confused. please explain it to me. Thanks :)

Kat Auditor - 6 years, 10 months ago

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@Kat Auditor It's just the formula; it's typically taught in beginning algebra classes. If you go and multiply it out, you see that the xy term is needed to cancel the x2y and y2x terms. If you need proof, google sum of cubes.

Adam Bachmann - 6 years, 10 months ago

That was the missing step/explanation. Thank you.

Eric Andrew - 6 years, 5 months ago

i think he use special products

Jhernel Camotes - 6 years, 10 months ago

where do you get 49 and how it formed 30=3xy and 10=xy?

Jomar Alivio - 6 years, 10 months ago

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x + y = 7 x+y = 7 , therefore ( x + y ) 2 (x+y)^2 =49.

By doing some rearranging of the equation you get those equations.

Sharky Kesa - 6 years, 10 months ago

I guess I should start writing solutions to level 1 problems. 89 upvotes for nothing .-.

Kunal Verma - 6 years ago

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:P 109 upvotes.

Sharky Kesa - 5 years, 11 months ago

222 now. :P :P

Sharky Kesa - 5 years, 6 months ago

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This is cancer lel. People seem to upvote a solution if they've implied a similar method, not because it's elegant.

Kunal Verma - 5 years, 6 months ago

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@Kunal Verma 246 on this one and 353 over here . :P About a third of my total upvotes from these two questions only.

Sharky Kesa - 4 years, 12 months ago

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@Sharky Kesa 250 on this one and 420 upvotes there. I think I broke the record on that prob!

Sharky Kesa - 4 years, 8 months ago

but where did -xy came from? i get that x+y is taken as common.

Warda Syed - 5 years, 8 months ago

correct answer

Muhammad Abdul Moiz - 6 years, 10 months ago

Very well.

Sinuhé Ancelmo - 6 years, 10 months ago

I don't understand how you got (x^2+y^2+2xy-3xy) from (x^2+y^2-xy).

Chelsea Long - 5 years, 10 months ago

x^3 + y^3 = (x + y)^3 - 3xy (x + y) 133 = 7^3 - 3xy (7) 133 = 343 - 21xy 21xy = 343 - 133 xy = 210/21 xy = 10

Palash Mondal - 5 years, 7 months ago

The solution is quite easy..

Anwesha Sinha - 5 years ago

given that x + y = 7 2 + 5 =7 x^3 + y^3 =133 2^3 + 5^3=133 (x)(y)=? (2)(5)=10

hassam rind - 6 years, 10 months ago

brilliant answer

Omar Alaa - 6 years, 10 months ago

unfortunately I added negative sign to 10

Abdul Hakim - 6 years, 10 months ago

Wait x^3 + y^3 = (x+y) ( x^2 -xy +y^2) = 133

Lakshmi Chandrasekaran - 6 years, 8 months ago
Nathan Edwards
Jul 29, 2014

x + y = 7 x + y = 7 ( x + y ) 3 = 7 3 \Rightarrow (x+y)^3 = 7^3 x 3 + 3 x 2 y + 3 x y 2 + y 3 = 343 \Rightarrow x^3 + 3x^2y +3xy^2 + y^3 = 343 We know that x 3 + y 3 = 133 x^3 +y^3 = 133 So substituting 3 x 2 y + 3 x y 2 = 210 \Rightarrow 3x^2y + 3xy^2 = 210 Take out the 3 and factorise ( x + y ) x y = 70 \Rightarrow (x + y)xy = 70 x y = 10 \Rightarrow xy = 10

solved in the same way : )

PUSHPESH KUMAR - 6 years, 10 months ago

Even I solved in the same way.....

karthik suresh - 6 years, 10 months ago

one just have to remember the correct expansion formula

Yuliya Skripchenko - 6 years, 10 months ago

Superb explanation

Govind Kumar Dikshit - 5 years, 7 months ago

this is much clear , this is simpler than other ways

Eugenza Ryn - 4 years, 11 months ago

your ans seems be a more valid solution than others. thanks

Warda Syed - 5 years, 8 months ago
David Orrell
Apr 29, 2015

Before working with simultaneous equations and substitution, which is somewhat time-consuming, I take no shame in having entertained the idea of a shortcut (with the assumption that x and y would take natural values): the only cubic numbers below 133 are 1, 8, 27, 64 and 125. I then noticed that 125 + 8 = 133. Therefore because x^3 and y^3 are 8 and 125 (in any order), xy = 2 * 5 = 10.

What I did also.

Jacco Rubens - 5 years, 8 months ago
Jonathan Nielsen
May 24, 2015

This is how I did it. Well done sir.

Vasili Sanios - 5 years, 8 months ago
Dushyant Dushyant
Apr 20, 2015

( x + y ) 3 = x 3 + y 3 + 3 x y ( x + y ) (x+y)^3 = x^3 + y^3 + 3xy(x+y) and given that (x+y) = 7 so, ( 7 ) 3 = 133 + 3 x y ( 7 ) (7)^3 = 133 + 3xy(7)
210 = 21 x y 210 = 21xy x y = 10 xy = 10

Rakibul Islam
Jul 31, 2014

We know,

(x+y)^3 = x^3 + y^3 + 3xy(x+y)

or, 7^3 = 133 + 3xy * 7

or, 343-133 = 21xy

or, 210 = 21xy

or, xy = 10

Hanif Robbani
Jul 31, 2014

( x + y ) 3 = 7 3 ( x + y ) ^ 3 = 7 ^ 3

( x 2 + 2 x y + y 2 ) ( x + y ) = 343 \Rightarrow (x^2+2xy+y^2)(x+y) = 343

x 3 + 2 x 2 y + y 2 x + x 2 y + 2 x y 2 + y 3 = 343 \Rightarrow x^3+2x^2y+y^2x + x^2y+2xy^2+y^3 = 343

x 3 + y 3 + x y ( 2 x + y + x + 2 y ) = 343 \Rightarrow x^3+y^3 + xy(2x+y+x+2y) = 343

( x 3 + y 3 ) + ( x y ) ( 3 x + 3 y ) = 343 \Rightarrow (x^3+y^3) + (xy)(3x+3y) = 343

( x 3 + y 3 ) + ( x y ) 3 ( x + y ) = 343 \Rightarrow (x^3+y^3) + (xy)3(x+y) = 343

( 133 ) + ( x y ) 3 ( 7 ) = 343 \Rightarrow (133) + (xy)3(7) = 343

x y = 343 133 ( 3 ) ( 7 ) \Rightarrow xy = \frac {343-133}{(3)(7)}

x y = 10 \Rightarrow xy = 10

Govind Balaji
Aug 8, 2014

( x + y ) 3 = x 3 + y 3 + 3 x y ( x + y ) 7 3 = 133 + 3 x y ( 7 ) 343 = 133 + 21 x y 210 = 21 x y x y = 10 \begin{aligned} (x+y)^3&=x^3+y^3+3xy(x+y)\\\\7^3&=133+3xy(7)\\\\343&=133+21xy\\\\210&=21xy\\\\xy&=10\end{aligned}

Arun Prasad
Jul 31, 2014

both X, Y <6, as X+Y=7, & x^3 or Y^3 beyond 5 will make X^3+Y^3>133, Now only pair of numbers less than 6 which add up to 7 are 3,4 or 5,2... now only 5,2 pair satisfies the criteria for both the equations

Incase not remembering formula...Just assume and test...1+6=7 or 2+5=7 or 3+4=7...you get it fast...

Mohamad Halith - 6 years, 10 months ago
Ismail Moumni
Jul 6, 2015

x+y=7 x^3+y^3=133 〖(x+y)〗^3=x^3+3x^2 y+3〖xy〗^2+y^3=7^3=343 3xy(x+y)=343-133=210 7 3 xy=210 21xy=210 xy=10

Desrivina Ramkas
Aug 5, 2014

( x + y ) x+y) 3 ^3 = x x 3 ^{3} + y y 3 ^{3} + 3 x y 3xy ( x + y ) (x+y)

So,

x x 3 ^{3} + y y 3 ^ { 3 } = ( x + y ) (x+y) 3 ^{3} - 3 x y 3xy ( x + y ) (x+y)

133 133 = 7 3 7^{3} - 3 x y ( 7 ) 3xy(7)

133 133 = 343 343 - 21 x y 21xy

21 x y 21xy = 210 210

x y xy = 10 10

James Jin Xin
Mar 1, 2016

X + Y = 7 X³ + Y³ = 133 X³ + Y³ = 125 + 8 X³ + Y³ = 5³ + 2² X³ = 5³ Y³ = 2³ X = 5 and Y = 2

Varun Gopal
Jan 18, 2016

Dude I just tried with 1&6 2&5 Tadaaaa I got it

Pedro Vitor
Dec 22, 2015

x+y = 7

(x+y)³ = 7³

x³ + y³ + 3(x+y)(xy) = 343

It admitting also x³+y³ = 133

133 + 3(7)(xy) = 343

3(7)(xy) = 343 - 133

21xy = 210

xy = 10

Curan Jani
Nov 22, 2015

Used trial and error. So what 2 numbers make 7. 4+3, 5+ 2, 6+1 or 7+0. Tried 4+3, gave me 98 when put into x^3+y^3. Tried 5+2 and gave me 133. Therefore xy=10

Jamie Forsythe
Nov 17, 2015

( x + y ) 3 = x 3 + y 3 + 3 x 2 y + 3 x y 2 (x+y)^{3}=x^{3}+y^{3}+3x^{2}y+3xy^{2}

x 3 + y 3 = ( x + y ) 3 ( 3 x 2 y + 3 x y 2 ) x^{3}+y^{3}=(x+y)^{3}-(3x^{2}y+3xy^{2})

133 = 7 3 ( 3 x 2 y + 3 x y 2 ) 133=7^{3}-(3x^{2}y+3xy^{2})

133 = 343 3 x y ( x + y ) 133=343-3xy(x+y)

3 x y ( x + y ) = 210 3xy(x+y)=210

x y ( x + y ) = 70 xy(x+y)=70

7 x y = 70 7xy=70

x y = 10 xy=\boxed{10}

Anand Chitrao
Oct 30, 2015

(x+y)^3 = x^3+y^3+3xy(x+y) Hence xy = ([(x+y)^3-(x^3+y^3)]/3xy) Hence xy = 10

Christopher Unrau
Oct 21, 2015

For those not as mathematically inclined, there is a simple guess and check. Where x+y=7 and x^3+y^3=133, there are only so many options out there. After enough guessing, we can conclude 5+2=7, and 5^3(which is 125) and 2^3(which is 8) equals 133.

Gabriele Donati
Oct 11, 2015

I knew the maths, but it was gonna take too long doing all the calculations. So all I did was possibility and elimination. It's faster:

x + y = 7

This means that there will be only 1 combination numbers for this first equation: 4 + 3 5 + 2 6 + 1

So, if x^3 + y^3 = 133, if I insert the three possibilities into the equation, it should give me 133. So...

(4^3) + (3^3) = 91 ---> Not it

(5^3) + (2^3) = 133 ---> Here we go :)

5x2 = 10

Et voilà

Özgür Güreş
Sep 24, 2015

x.x.x+y.y.y=x^2.x+y^2.y=...

Clyve Bowen
Sep 23, 2015

As I was careful to indicate in my first post on this site, I'm no expert mathematician. This was how I approached the problem and arrived at the correct answer: Given that x+y = 7, my task was to find two numerals which, when added, would total 7. The sum of the cubes of these same two numerals must also yield 133. My options were: 0+7=7; 1+6=7; 2+5=7; 3+4=7; 4+3=7; 5+2=7; 6+1=7;or 7+0=7. First, I eliminated 0+7 and 1+6 because the sum of their cubes (0 0 0+7 7 7) did not total 133. My next option was 2+5 which, when their cubes were added, gave the following: (2 2 2) + (5 5 5) = 8+125 = 133. This satisfied formulae 1 and 2: x+y = 2+5 = 7; and x^3+y^3 = 133. Finally, x y = 2 5 = 10. ANSWER: 10. NB I did not find it necessary to explore the remaining five options, because the answer was evident at my third option. I could, of course, have stopped counting options after 3+4, since anything after that is a retrograde repetition of earlier options.

Zackchan Fox
Sep 2, 2015

There are some people who don't know exactly how to do some of the formulas So if you are a beginner you can just use system of elimination We all know that there are different numbers that can come together to make 7 like 4+3 or 6+1 or 5+2 and more so if you take the time you can obviously solve it just conduct the formula with each pair of numbers and you will realize 5+2 make the best answer so then just Multiply it by 2 and then you will Get 10 But Sharky Kesa did a great job By the way I am actually thirteen I just set it like this because I didn't know the age limit

Sadasiva Panicker
Jul 31, 2015

x3+y3= {x+y}3 - 3xy(x+y}=7x7x7 - 3xy x 7 =343 - 21xy 133 - 343 = - 21xy -210 = -21xy Then xy = -210/-21 = 10

Jonas Bertholdi
Jul 16, 2015

(x+y)³=7³ - Taking the first equation and ^3 the both sides we have: x³+3x²y+3xy²+y³=343 Now we make:

x³+3x²y+3xy²+ y³= 343

-x³ - y³= -133

0x³+3x²y+3xy²+0y³= 210

so:

3xy(x+y) = 210 but x+y = 7

what lead us to:

xy = 210/ (3*7) xy = 10

Marcelo Santos
Jun 17, 2015

x + y = 7

(x + y)³ = 343

(x³ + y³) + 3x²y + 3xy² = 343

133 + 3x²y + 3xy² = 343

3x²y + 3xy² = 210

x²y + xy² = 70

xy (x + y) = 70

7xy = 70

xy = 10

Nandini Shivraj
Jun 17, 2015

well, i just paired up the nos. that added to 7 and then checked them with the cubes

Moazzem Hossen
May 20, 2015

x^3 + y^3 = (x + y)^3 - 3xy(x + y) = 133

-> 7^3 - 3xy.7 = 133 #plug (x + y) = 7

-> 343 - 21xy = 133

-> - 21xy = 133 - 343 = - 210

-> xy = 10

Suganya Ramasamy
May 12, 2015

(x+y)^3 =x^(3 )+3x^2 y+3xy^2+y^3

7^3 =x^(3 )+y^3 +3x^2 y+3xy^2

343 =133+3xy(x+y)

343 =133+3xy(7)

343-133=21xy

210 =21xy

∴xy=10

Mark Torres
May 12, 2015

I think I did it the dumb way and just picked a number hence 5 and 2 and put it into the equation getting 5^3+2^3 which equals 133 lol.

Shriya Devadiga
May 8, 2015

I just manually tried it. first by considering a pair of 4&3 but since cube of 4&3 equals 64 + 27=91 so then I tried for 5&2 i.e. 125+8=133 which proved to be correct

We have the following system,

x + y = 7 x + y = 7

x ³ + y ³ = 133 x³+y³ = 133

Elevating in both sides x + y = 7 x+y = 7 , we have:

( x + y ) ³ = 7 ³ (x + y)³ = 7³

x ³ + 3 x y ² + 3 x ² y + y ³ = 7 ³ x³ + 3xy² + 3x²y + y³ = 7³

Now The System is:

x ³ + 3 x y ² + 3 x ² y + y ³ = 343 ³ x³ + 3xy² + 3x²y + y³ = 343³ (1)

x ³ + y ³ = 133 x³+y³ = 133 (2)

Subtracting (1) and (2), we have:

3 x y ² + 3 x ² y = 210 3xy² + 3x²y = 210

3 x y ( x + y ) = 210 3xy(x+y) = 210

We know that x + y = 7 x + y = 7 , So:

3 x y 7 = 210 3xy * 7 = 210

x y = 210 / 21 xy = 210/21

x y = 10 xy = 10

Md Iqbal Hassan
Apr 16, 2015

(x-y)3 =x3+y3+3xy(x+y)

Aljun Bulado
Feb 7, 2015

(x+y)(x^2-xy+y^2)=133

7(x^2-xy+y^2)=133

x^2+2xy+y^2=49

x^2+y^2=49-2xy

7(49-3xy)=133

49-3xy=19

xy=10

Shovon Pramanik
Aug 26, 2014

(x +y)^3 - 3xy (x+y) = x^3 +y^3 or, 7^3- 3.7xy = 133 or, xy = 343- 133 = 10.

Akshay Kumar
Aug 20, 2014

taking x=7-y and substituting in equ 2 we get a quadratic equ solving that in x+y=7 we get the values for x and y as 5 and 2 so ans is 10

Shiv Kaundilya
Aug 12, 2014

x3+y3= (x+y)3-3xy(x+y)

x^3 + y^3 = (x+y) [(x+y)^2 - 3xy] 133 = 7 (7^2 - 3xy) 133 = 7 (49 - 3xy) 133/7 = (49 - 3xy) 19 = 49 - 3xy 3xy = 49 - 19 3xy = 30 xy = 10

x^3 + y^3 = 133 then (x + y) (x^2 + y^2 -xy ) = 133 since x+y = 7 then 7( x^2 + y^2 - xy ) 133 7( (x+y)2 - 3xy ) =133 7( 49 -3xy ) = 133 343 + 7xy = 133 -21xy = -210 xy = 10

Lu Chee Ket
Aug 4, 2014

x^3 + y^3 + 3 x y (x + y) = (x + y)^3

=> 133 + 3 x y (7) = 7^3

=> 19 + 3 x y = 49

=> x y = 10

Shoham Grunblat
Aug 2, 2014

x^3+y^3= 133 =(x+y)(x^2-xy+y^2)= 7(x^2-xy+y^2) x^2-xy+y^2= 133/7= 19 //+3xy x^2+2xy+y^2= (x+y)^2=7^2= 49=19+3xy 3xy=30 xy=10

Aswin Kumar
Aug 2, 2014

6 6 6* = 256 so a number must be less than six...which means automatically 5...and 5 5 5 = 125 and 2 2 2= 8 and their sum 133 and 5+2 = 7 5*2 =10

Om Choudhary
Aug 1, 2014

(x+y)^{ 3 }=(x^{ 3 }+y^{ 3 })+3x^{ 2 }y+3xy^{ 2 }\ (7)^{ 3 }=(133)+3xy(x+y)\ 343=133+3xy(7)\ 210=21xy\ xy=210/21\ xy=10

Henrique Ribeiro
Aug 1, 2014

x + y (5 + 2 or 2 + 5) = 7. xy = 10

Ronak Jain
Jul 31, 2014

(x+y)^3 = x^3 + y^3 + 3x^2 y + 3x y^2

7^3=133+ 3xy(x+y)

343-133=3xy(7)

xy=210/21

xy=10

Sai Venkat
Jul 31, 2014

given x^3+y^3=133; x+y=7 we know the formula (x+y)^3=x^3+y^3+3xy(x+y) substitute the values 7^3=133+3(7)xy on solving we get 10=xy

Sudipan Mallick
Jul 31, 2014

We know that (x+y)^3=x^3+y^3. 343=133+21xy. 21xy=210,so xy=10.

Using Formula, x^3 + y^3 = (x+y)(x^2 + y^2 - xy) x^2 + y^2 - xy = 19 ....(1) Using (x+y)^2 = x^2 + y^2 + 2xy x^2 + y^2 + 2xy = 49 ....(2) By Solving (1) & (2) We can get xy = 10

Naresh Chowdary Kommuri - 6 years, 10 months ago
Kesudh Giri
Jul 29, 2014

x^3+y^3=(x+y)^3-exy(x+y)=133; -21xy=-210;xy=10

Could you use LaTeX \LaTeX instead?

Victor Loh - 6 years, 10 months ago

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