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8.4. Solved problems

  1. Solve: |2x + 1| = 5
    2x + 1 = 5   or   2x + 1 = -5
    2x = 4       or   2x = -6
     x = 2       or    x = -3
    The solution set is {2 , -3}.
    
  2. Solve: |2x - 3| + 4 = 3
    |2x - 3| = -1
    There is no solution since the absolute 
    value of a number is never negative.
    
  3. Solve: |2x - 3| = |x + 2|
    2x - 3 = x + 2    or    2x - 3 = -x - 2
    2x = x + 5        or    2x = -x + 1
    x = 5             or    3x = 1
                             x = 1/3
    
    The solution set is {1/3, 5}
    
  4. Solve: |x - 3| < 1
    -1 < x - 3 < 1
    -1 + 3 < x - 3 + 3 < 1 + 3
    2 < x < 4
    
    The inequality is true in the open interval (2, 4)
    
  5. Solve: |2x - 1| > 3
    2x - 1 < -3    or    3 < 2x - 1
    2x < -2        or    4 < 2x
    x < -1         or    2 < x
    
    The inequality is true in the open intervals (-∞, -1) or (2, +∞)
    
  6. Solve: |x - 2| > 0
    x - 2 < 0    or    0 < x - 2
    x < 2        or    2 < x
    
    The inequality is true in the open intervals (-∞, 2) or (2, +∞). 
    That is, x may take any value except 2; represented on 
    the real line as follows:
     
    =========================o==================
          -1     0     1     2     3     4      
    
    
  7. Solve: |3 - 2x| ≤ 5
    -5 ≤ 3 - 2x ≤ 5
    -8 ≤ -2x ≤ 2
    -2 ≤  2x ≤ 8
    -1 ≤ x ≤ 4
    
    The inequality is true in the closed interval [-1, 4]
    
  8. Solve: |5 - x| ≤ 5
     -5 ≤ 5 - x ≤ 5
    -10 ≤ -x ≤ 0
      0 ≤ x ≤ 10
    
    The inequality is true in the closed interval [0, 10]
    
  9. Solve: |2x - 10| < 4
    -4 < 2x - 10 < 4
     6 < 2x < 14
     3 <  x <  7
    
    The inequality is true in the open interval (3, 7)
    
  10. Solve: |4x - 16| ≥ 8
    4|x - 4| ≥ 8
     |x - 4| ≥ 2
    
     x - 4 ≤ -2    or    2 ≤ x - 4
     x ≤ 2         or    6 ≤ x
    
    The inequality is true in the half open intervals (-∞, 2], [6, +∞)
    
  11. Solve: 4|2x - 7| + 5 ≤ 17
    4|2x - 7| ≤ 12
     |2x - 7| ≤  3
    
    -3 ≤ 2x - 7 ≤ 3
     4 ≤ 2x ≤ 10
     2 ≤  x ≤  5
    
    The inequality is true in the closed interval [2, 5]
    
  12. Solve: 1 < |x - 2| < 4
    (a) |x - 2| < 4       
    -4 < x - 2 < 4
    -2 < x < 6
    
    (b) |x - 2| > 1
    x - 2 < -1      or       1 < x - 2
    x < 1           or       3 < x
    
    (a)  (-----------------------------------------------)
    
    (b) -------------------)           (----------------------
    
        -|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|------
        -2    -1     0     1     2     3     4     5     6      
    
    The inequality is true in the open intervals (-2, 1), (3, 6)
    
    
  13. Solve: e < |x - 1| ≤ d
    (a)  |x - 1| ≤ d
    -d ≤ x - 1 ≤ d
    1 - d ≤ x ≤ 1 + d
    
    (a)  |x - 1| > e
    x - 1 < -e     or     e < x - 1
    x < 1 - e      or     1 + e < x
    
    (a)  [-----------------------------------]
    
    (b) ---------------)       (----------------------
    
       --|-------------|---|---|-------------|----------------
        1-d           1-e  1  1+e           1+d              
    
    The inequality is true in the half open intervals [1 - d, 1 - e), (1 + e, 1 + d]
    
  14. Solve: |x2 - 3x - 1| < 3
    Find all the critical points
    
    -3 < x2 - 3x - 1       or     x2 - 3x - 1 < 3
     0 < x2 - 3x + 2       or     x2 - 3x - 4 < 0
    
     0 < (x - 1)(x - 2)    or     (x + 1)(x - 4) < 0
    
    (x - 1)             -     |  +  |     +            
    (x - 2)             -     |  -  |     +            
    is > 0  ==================)     (==================
    
    (x + 1)    -  |              +              |  +   
    (x - 4)    -  |              -              |  +   
    is < 0        (=============================)      
    
    both true     (===========)     (===========)      
           -------|-----------|-----|-----------|------
                 -1     0     1     2     3     4      
    
    The inequality is true in the open intervals (-1, 1), (2, 4)
    
  15. Solve: |z + i| = 2
               _____________
    |z + i| = √ x2 + (y + 1)2 = 2
    
    The solution is the circle with radius 2 and center at: 0 - i
    
  16. Solve: 0 < |z + 2| < 1
         _____________
    0 < √(x + 2)2 + y2  < 1
    
    The solution is all points excluding the point -2 + 0i and within the circle with 
    radius 1 and center at: -2 + 0i.
    


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Copyright © 2005, Stephen R. Schmitt