Rearranging a fixed point equation

**NitrousUK** · May 24th 2010, 02:12 PM

Hi, sorry if this is a silly/simple question! But i've been banging my head against it for a while. There's an example of a fixed point equation in my course book that gives $\frac{-1}{8}x^2+\frac{5}{8}x+\frac{7}{2}=x$

But then rearranges to give $x^2+3x-28=0$

I can see they're dividing through by the 'a' coefficient for the quadratic, but I don't understand the operation involved in turning the 'b' coefficient from 5/8 divide by 1/8, which gives me 5, into the 3 when the RHS (which is 'x' over 1/8) is transposed.

Any help/hints greatly appreciated! Thanks.

**pickslides** · May 24th 2010, 02:18 PM

$\frac{-1}{8}x^2+\frac{5}{8}x+\frac{7}{2}=x$

$\frac{-1}{8}x^2+\frac{5}{8}x+\frac{7}{2}=\frac{8}{8}x$

$\frac{-1}{8}x^2+\frac{-3}{8}x+\frac{7}{2}=0$

$x^2+3x+\frac{-56}{2}=0$

$x^2+3x-28=0$

**e^(i*pi)** · May 24th 2010, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by NitrousUK

Hi, sorry if this is a silly/simple question! But i've been banging my head against it for a while. There's an example of a fixed point equation in my course book that gives $\frac{-1}{8}x^2+\frac{5}{8}x+\frac{7}{2}=x$

But then rearranges to give $x^2+3x-28=0$

I can see they're dividing through by the 'a' coefficient for the quadratic, but I don't understand the operation involved in turning the 'b' coefficient from 5/8 divide by 1/8, which gives me 5, into the 3 when the RHS (which is 'x' over 1/8) is transposed.

Any help/hints greatly appreciated! Thanks.

If we multiply through by 8 (the LCD of 2 and 8)

$-x^2 + 5x + 28 = 8x$

The 3x comes from $8x-5x$ when simplifying

$x^2+3x-28 = 0$

**Also sprach Zarathustra** · May 24th 2010, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by NitrousUK

Hi, sorry if this is a silly/simple question! But i've been banging my head against it for a while. There's an example of a fixed point equation in my course book that gives $\frac{-1}{8}x^2+\frac{5}{8}x+\frac{7}{2}=x$

But then rearranges to give $x^2+3x-28=0$

I can see they're dividing through by the 'a' coefficient for the quadratic, but I don't understand the operation involved in turning the 'b' coefficient from 5/8 divide by 1/8, which gives me 5, into the 3 when the RHS (which is 'x' over 1/8) is transposed.

Any help/hints greatly appreciated! Thanks.