Simultaneous Equations in 4 variables!

Algebra Level 2

Given that a , b , c , d a,b,c,d are real numbers such that

a + b + c = 5 , a+b+c=5, a + b + d = 7 , a+b+d=7, a + c + d = 11 , a+c+d=11, b + c + d = 13 , b+c+d=13,

find the value of a b c d \displaystyle| abcd \displaystyle| .

Details and Assumptions

n \displaystyle| n \displaystyle| denotes the absolute value of n n .

For example, 3 \displaystyle| -3 \displaystyle| = 3 = 3 and 4 \displaystyle| 4 \displaystyle| = 4 = 4 .


The answer is 35.

This section requires Javascript.
You are seeing this because something didn't load right. We suggest you, (a) try refreshing the page, (b) enabling javascript if it is disabled on your browser and, finally, (c) loading the non-javascript version of this page . We're sorry about the hassle.

2 solutions

Victor Loh
Jun 28, 2014

Note that

( a + b + c ) + ( a + b + d ) + ( a + c + d ) + ( b + c + d ) (a+b+c)+(a+b+d)+(a+c+d)+(b+c+d)

= 3 a + 3 b + 3 c + 3 d =3a+3b+3c+3d

= 3 ( a + b + c + d ) =3(a+b+c+d)

= 5 + 7 + 11 + 13 =5+7+11+13

= 36. =36.

Hence a + b + c + d = 36 3 = 12 a = 1 , b = 1 , c = 5 , d = 7 a+b+c+d=\frac{36}{3}=12 \implies a=-1,b=1,c=5,d=7 from the given equations. We have a b c d = 35 = 35 \displaystyle|abcd\displaystyle|=\displaystyle|-35\displaystyle|=\boxed{35} and we are done.

Mahdi Raza
Jun 29, 2020

Adding up all the 4 equations, we get:

3 ( a + b + c + d ) = 36 3 (a + b + c + d) = 36 a + b + c + d = 12 a + b + c + d = 12

With this equation, we subtract equations one at a time to get:

a = 1 , b = 1 , c = 5 , d = 7 a = -1, b=1, c=5, d =7

Computing the answer:

( 1 ) ( 1 ) ( 5 ) ( 7 ) = 35 = 35 \begin{aligned} |(1)(-1)(5)(7)| &= |-35| \\ &= \boxed{35} \end{aligned}

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...