Thread: Algebra 2 Super Challenge Problem!

Hello everyone, this is my first post in the Math Help Forum. I was wanting to know if anybody out there can prove that x = 3 (without just 'plugging it' in) in this equation that my friend made:

³√(8x+3) - ³√(x-4) = 4 (third roots)

Here's what I have of the proof so far: View image: Proof of the Super Equation( WIP) Sorry if you can't follow it lol...
What would you recommend I do as the next step? The numbers are really getting out of control...

At the point where you have , rearrange the equation as



Now make a substitution, and you arrive at the cubic equation



Whether or not you accept trial values for (which is a normal method) I don't know. ( is a fairly obvious solution.) The alternative is to use perhaps Cardano's method.

How did you go from the 8x+3 = 64... to the 7(x-4) one? I don't see how the flow of logic works from one step to the next. I understand the substitution part though. I got this: View image: Proof of the Super Equation( WIP)

Oh, that makes sense :P you just rewrite those into an (x-4) term so that it can be replaced with substitution. Now I'll just work with the cubic function soon (maybe not today, have too much homework...). And yes, I accept trial values for z, otherwise I would probably use some extremely complicated method...

Now, I am doing polynomial division between (z+1) and the cubic function. I am getting a remainder, what course of action do you recommend now? here's what I have so far: View image: Proof of the Super Equation( WIP)

You should not get a remainder in the polynomial long division. Doing the division, I find:

I think I see what I did wrong here... bad arithmetic. Oh well, someday I'll learn to count :P

Originally Posted by BobP

At the point where you have , rearrange the equation as



Now make a substitution, and you arrive at the cubic equation



Whether or not you accept trial values for (which is a normal method) I don't know. ( is a fairly obvious solution.) The alternative is to use perhaps Cardano's method.

For the record the cubic has the 3 real solutions as


So


All of these are correct according to the original equation, but I would highly recommend the last two solutions be done on a calculator. (You'll see why when you plug them into the original equation.)

Okay, I was bored.

-Dan