1984 AHSME Problems/Problem 20
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Problem
The number of the distinct solutions to the equation
is
Solution
We can create a tree of possibilities, progressively eliminating the absolute value signs by creating different cases.
So we have possible solutions: and . Checking for extraneous solutions, we find that the only ones that work are and , so there are solutions, .
See Also
1984 AHSME (Problems • Answer Key • Resources) | ||
Preceded by Problem 19 |
Followed by Problem 21 | |
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