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Algebra Level 3

1 0 x + 1 1 x + 1 2 x = 1 3 x + 1 4 x \Large 10^x+ 11^x + 12^x = 13^x + 14^x

Find the sum of all solutions of x x that satisfy the equation above.


The answer is 2.

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1 solution

Ravi Dwivedi
Jul 12, 2015

It is easy to check that x = 2 x=2 is a solution. We claim that this is the only solution. The equation is

1 0 x + 1 1 x + 1 2 x = 1 3 x + 1 4 x 10^x+11^x+12^x=13^x+14^x\\ Divide both sides of the equation by 1 3 x 13^x ( 10 13 ) x + ( 11 13 ) x + ( 12 13 ) x = 1 + ( 14 13 ) x (\frac{10}{13})^x+ (\frac{11}{13})^x+ (\frac{12}{13})^x=1+(\frac{14}{13})^x

The left hand side is a decreasing function of x x and the right hand side is an increasing function of x x .

Therefore their graphs can have at most one point of intersection.

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