Where's the increasing function?

Algebra Level 3

A solution to the equation 3 x + 4 x = 5 x 3^x + 4^x = 5^x is x = 2 x=2 .
We know by Fermat's last theorem that there's no other integer solution x > 2. x>2.

But is there any non-integer solution x > 2 ? x>2?

Yes No

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2 solutions

David Vreken
Feb 25, 2018

Let n = x 2 n = x - 2 . Then x = n + 2 x = n + 2 and when x > 2 x > 2 , we have n > 0 n > 0 .

Then 3 x + 4 x = 3 n + 2 + 4 n + 2 = 3 n 3 2 + 4 n 4 2 3^x + 4^x = 3^{n + 2} + 4^{n + 2} = 3^n3^2 + 4^n4^2

and 5 x = 5 n + 2 = 5 n 5 2 = 5 n ( 3 2 + 4 2 ) = 5 n 3 2 + 5 n 4 2 5^x = 5^{n + 2} = 5^n5^2 = 5^n(3^2 + 4^2) = 5^n3^2 + 5^n4^2 .

For all n > 0 n > 0 , 3 n < 4 n < 5 n 3^n < 4^n < 5^n , so 3 n 3 2 < 5 n 3 2 3^n3^2 < 5^n3^2 and 4 n 4 2 < 5 n 4 2 4^n4^2 < 5^n4^2 , and so 3 n 3 2 + 4 n 4 2 < 5 n 3 2 + 5 n 4 2 3^n3^2 + 4^n4^2 < 5^n3^2 + 5^n4^2 which means 3 x + 4 x < 5 x 3^x + 4^x < 5^x for all x > 2 x > 2 .

Therefore, there are no solutions x > 2 x > 2 (integer or non-integer) for the equation 3 x + 4 x = 5 x 3^x + 4^x = 5^x .

Steven Yuan
Mar 2, 2018

Let f ( x ) = ( 3 5 ) x + ( 4 5 ) x . f(x) = \left ( \dfrac{3}{5} \right )^x + \left ( \dfrac{4}{5} \right )^x. Differentiating, we have

f ( x ) = ( 3 5 ) x ln 3 5 + ( 4 5 ) x ln 4 5 = [ ( 3 5 ) x ln 5 3 + ( 4 5 ) x ln 5 4 ] \begin{aligned} f'(x) &= \left ( \dfrac{3}{5} \right )^x \ln \dfrac{3}{5} + \left ( \dfrac{4}{5} \right )^x \ln \dfrac{4}{5} \\ &= - \left [ \left ( \dfrac{3}{5} \right )^x \ln \dfrac{5}{3} + \left ( \dfrac{4}{5} \right )^x \ln \dfrac{5}{4} \right ] \end{aligned}

The expression in the brackets will always be positive, since the exponential function is always positive and ln 5 3 , ln 5 4 > ln 1 = 0. \ln \dfrac{5}{3}, \ln \dfrac{5}{4} > \ln 1 = 0. Therefore, for all real values of x , x, we have f ( x ) < 0 , f'(x) < 0, so f f is a monotonically decreasing function. This means that there can only be one value of x x such that f ( x ) = 1 , f(x) = 1, or in other words, there's only one real solution to the equation 3 x + 4 x = 5 x . 3^x + 4^x = 5^x. Since we know that x = 2 x = 2 is a solution, it is the only solution, so we conclude that no , there are no more solutions to the equation greater than 2.

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