So many square roots!

Algebra Level 1

x + x + x + . . . = 2019 \sqrt{x+\sqrt{x+\sqrt{x+\sqrt{...}}}}=2019

Find x x .

Bonus: What if the right side is any other number?


The answer is 4074342.

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3 solutions

Let

y = x + x + x + Squaring both sides y 2 = x + x + x + x + = x + y x = y 2 y = y ( y 1 ) \begin{aligned} y & = \sqrt{x+\sqrt{x+\sqrt{x+\sqrt{\cdots}}}} & \small \blue{\text{Squaring both sides}} \\ y^2 & = x + \sqrt{x+\sqrt{x+\sqrt{x+\sqrt{\cdots}}}} \\ & = x + y \\ \implies x & = y^2 - y = y(y-1) \end{aligned}

For y = 2019 x = 2019 × 2018 = 4074342 y=2019 \implies x = 2019\times 2018 = \boxed{4074342} .

Let the L.H.S. of the equation be y y . Then y = 1 + 4 x + 1 2 y=\dfrac{1+\sqrt {4x+1}}{2} (since y y is positive). Solving for x x , we get x = y ( y 1 ) x=y(y-1) . Here y = 2019 y=2019 . So x = 2019 × 2018 = 4074342 x=2019\times {2018}=\boxed {4074342}

Bonus : The given equation has real solution when x x is non-negative definite, which is true when R.H.S. is greater than or equal to 1 \boxed {1}

The right hand side is greater than 1,not equal to.

Fahim Muhtamim - 1 year, 7 months ago

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Set x = 0 x=0 and see.

A Former Brilliant Member - 1 year, 7 months ago

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It becomes 0

Fahim Muhtamim - 1 year, 7 months ago

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@Fahim Muhtamim Sum of an infinite number of zeros need not be zero. As in this case, the value of the L.H.S. is one for x = 0 x=0

A Former Brilliant Member - 1 year, 7 months ago

x + x + x + . . . = 2019 \sqrt{x+\sqrt{x+\sqrt{x+\sqrt{...}}}}=2019

Squaring both sides gives

x + x + x + . . . = 201 9 2 x+\sqrt{x+\sqrt{x+\sqrt{...}}}=2019^2

However, x + x + . . . = 2019 \sqrt{x+\sqrt{x+\sqrt{...}}}=2019

So

x + 2019 = 201 9 2 x+2019=2019^2

x = 201 9 2 2019 x=2019^2-2019

x = 2019 ( 2019 1 ) x=2019(2019-1)

x = 2019 ( 2018 ) x=2019(2018)

x = 4074342 x=\color{#69047E}\large{\boxed{4074342}}

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