this may as well be chinese to me, so im not sure how to be more descriptive=(

• August 27th 2012, 05:01 PM
sloupok
this may as well be chinese to me, so im not sure how to be more descriptive=(
http://i.imgur.com/aVa89.jpg

I just began class today.. I have no experience with any of this and the course work does not begin to explain it.. i googled the symbol "|" it tells me that it means "divided into" that tells my feeble mind that x/x=1; and so "1 is equal to or less than -4.25" obviously false... the solution gives me -infinity..... my brain hurts.... what do?
• August 27th 2012, 05:09 PM
sloupok
Re: this may as well be chinese to me, so im not sure how to be more descriptive=(
ps. i took a screen cap, because i dont even know how to key in those symbols

pss. i HATE math =(
• August 27th 2012, 05:18 PM
Plato
Re: this may as well be chinese to me, so im not sure how to be more descriptive=(
Quote:

Originally Posted by sloupok

That set is simply $\lefthttp://mathhelpforum.com/algebra/202618-may-well-chinese-me-so-im-not-sure-how-more-descriptive.html#post732881\$
http://i.imgur.com/aVa89.jpg

I just began class today..

You're given this on your 1st day...by a teacher who gave no explanation? (Doh)
• August 27th 2012, 06:19 PM
MaxJasper
Re: this may as well be chinese to me, so im not sure how to be more descriptive=(
| means "given that" ...so
find set of values of x given that | .......x<=17/4
• August 27th 2012, 06:24 PM
sloupok
Re: this may as well be chinese to me, so im not sure how to be more descriptive=(
Quote:

Originally Posted by Wilmer
You're given this on your 1st day...by a teacher who gave no explanation? (Doh)

yes exactly.

i was able to complete every other question on the assignment correctly with average of 97.6; excluding the problem given in OP, the assignment was easily understood
examples:
http://i.imgur.com/z7bB1.jpg
• August 27th 2012, 06:28 PM
sloupok
Re: this may as well be chinese to me, so im not sure how to be more descriptive=(
Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxJasper
| means "given that" ...so
find set of values of x given that | .......x<=17/4

so "x is less than or equal to -4.25"?

what does the fraction -17/4 inbetween || mean?
• August 27th 2012, 07:33 PM
Prove It
Re: this may as well be chinese to me, so im not sure how to be more descriptive=(
|-17/4| means the ABSOLUTE VALUE or SIZE of -17/4. In other words, it's asking you how far away is -17/4 from 0?
• August 27th 2012, 07:46 PM
sloupok
Re: Prove It
so the actual charge is irrelevant to the solution?

just that the value of x is less than or equal to the difference to zero(+/-) of the value of the given?

so the answer set (-infinity,4.25) -Plato; is a ray from point (4.25,0) towards negative, infinitely along the x axis?
• August 27th 2012, 07:48 PM
Prove It
Re: this may as well be chinese to me, so im not sure how to be more descriptive=(
No, the absolute value is a DISTANCE. You can only ever have a POSITIVE value for a distance (so it turns all numbers positive). Therefore |-17/4| = 17/4, and the set x <= |-17/4| is the same as x <= 17/4. So in interval notation your answer is (-infinity, 17/4].
• August 27th 2012, 08:06 PM
sloupok
Re: this may as well be chinese to me, so im not sure how to be more descriptive=(
thank you all =D