1977 AHSME Problems/Problem 8

Revision as of 13:17, 18 November 2016 by E power pi times i (talk | contribs) (Solution)

Solution

Solution by e_power_pi_times_i

$\dfrac{x}{|x|} = 1$ or $-1$ depending whether $x$ is positive or negative. If $a$, $b$, and $c$ are positive, then the entire thing amounts to $4$. If one of the three is negative and the other two positive, the answer is $0$. If two of the three is negative and one is positive, the answer is $0$. If all three are negative, the answer is $-4$. Therefore the set is $\boxed{\textbf{(B)}\ \{-4,0,4\}}$.