Solve the equation

Algebra Level 4

2 x + 3 x + 6 x = x 2 \large 2^x+3^x+6^x=x^2 Find the sum of all real solutions of the above equation.


The answer is -1.

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2 solutions

Ravi Dwivedi
Jul 15, 2015

Case 1: x < 0 x<0 f ( x ) = 2 x + 3 x + 6 x x 2 f(x)=2^x+3^x+6^x-x^2 is increasing, so the equation f ( x ) = 0 f(x)=0 has the unique solution x = 1 x=-1

Case2: x 0 x \geq 0 Assume that there is a solution s 0 s \geq 0 Then

s 2 = 2 s + 3 s + 6 s 3 s^2 = 2^s + 3^s +6^s \geq 3

so s 3 s \geq \sqrt{3} and hence s 1 \lfloor s \rfloor \geq 1

But then s s s \geq \lfloor s \rfloor yields 2 s 2 s = ( 1 + 1 ) s 1 + s s 2^s \geq 2^{\lfloor s \rfloor} = (1+1)^{\lfloor s \rfloor} \geq 1+\lfloor s \rfloor \geq s

So this means

6 s > 4 s = ( 2 s ) 2 s 2 6^s>4^s=(2^s)^2 \geq s^2

Thus 2 s + 3 s + 6 s > s 2 2^s + 3^s +6^s > s^2 a contradiction

Therefore x = 1 x=-1 is the only solution.

Moderator note:

In case 1, how do you know that the function is increasing?

In case 2, does the "increasing function" argument no longer apply?

In case 1 if you differentiate then f ( x ) f'(x) has every term positive so the function is increasing when x < 0 x<0 , in case 2 every term of derivative is not positive. .

But the function is still increasing in case 2 evident by graphing with a software. But I don't know how to prove algebraically. So case 2 is differently proved.

Ravi Dwivedi - 5 years, 11 months ago

If x<0, all terms on LHS must be fractions, while RHS will always be = or >0. At a look at it we can see x= - 1. What ever x is LHS and RHS > 0.
S o x x + 3 x + 6 x + 1 = ( 1 + 2 x ) ( 1 + 3 x ) = x + 1 So~~x^x+3^x+6^x+1=(1+2^x)(1+3^x)=x+1 For any x>0, we can see this is not possible since ( 1 + 2 x ) > x a n d ( 1 + 3 x ) > 1 (1+2^x)>x~ and~ (1+3^x)>1 . So only value of x is -1.

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