Difference between revisions of "1986 AIME Problems/Problem 1"

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== Problem ==
 
== Problem ==
What is the sum of the solutions to the equation <math>\displaystyle \sqrt[4]{x} = \frac{12}{7 - \sqrt[4]{x}}</math>?
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What is the sum of the solutions to the equation <math>\sqrt[4]{x} = \frac{12}{7 - \sqrt[4]{x}}</math>?
  
 
== Solution ==
 
== Solution ==
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* [[American Invitational Mathematics Examination]]
 
* [[American Invitational Mathematics Examination]]
 
* [[Mathematics competition resources]]
 
* [[Mathematics competition resources]]
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{{MAA Notice}}

Revision as of 18:04, 4 July 2013

Problem

What is the sum of the solutions to the equation $\sqrt[4]{x} = \frac{12}{7 - \sqrt[4]{x}}$?

Solution

Let $y = \sqrt[4]{x}$. Then we have $y(7 - y) = 12$, or, by simplifying, \[y^2 - 7y + 12 = (y - 3)(y - 4) = 0.\]

This means that $\sqrt[4]{x} = y = 3$ or $4$.

Thus the sum of the possible solutions for $x$ is $4^4 + 3^4 = 337$.

See also

1986 AIME (ProblemsAnswer KeyResources)
Preceded by
First Question
Followed by
Problem 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
All AIME Problems and Solutions

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