1960 AHSME Problems/Problem 14
Problem
If and are real numbers, the equation has a unique solution [The symbol means that is different from zero]:
Solution
If the coefficients of the x-terms are equal on both sides, then when the x-terms are subtracted from both sides, the equation results in a number equals 1.
This means the equation has either infinite or no solutions, so the x-terms can not be equal on both sides. Thus, , so the answer is .
See Also
1960 AHSC (Problems • Answer Key • Resources) | ||
Preceded by Problem 13 |
Followed by Problem 15 | |
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All AHSME Problems and Solutions |