Math Is Fun Forum

cooljackiec

Member

Registered: 2012-12-13

Posts: 186

tedious fractions

Compute

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I see you have graph paper.
You must be plotting something

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: tedious fractions

Hi;

I can not easily get the pattern What is supposed to come after 1+... ?

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

anonimnystefy

Real Member

From: Harlan's World

Registered: 2011-05-23

Posts: 16,049

Re: tedious fractions

it seems like the numbers 1, 2 and 3 are going periodically upwards from left to right.

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“Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.
“Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
The knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: tedious fractions

I do not understand.

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

cooljackiec

Member

Registered: 2012-12-13

Posts: 186

Re: tedious fractions

I have no clue either.

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I see you have graph paper.
You must be plotting something

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: tedious fractions

Where does this problem come from?

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,621

Re: tedious fractions

It looks to me like

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: tedious fractions

Hi;

Bad choice of words, "Compute."

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,621

Re: tedious fractions

Well I had hoped that x, y and z could all be determined in which case I would have 'computed' it.  But the algebra is horrendous so I'm taking a break.

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: tedious fractions

Good idea, I will have sandwich.

---

In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,621

Re: tedious fractions

I'm getting x ≈ 2.5 by trial.

Cannot get closer with Excel 'goal seek'.

And that is 'compute'. 

EDIT revised answer by algebraic method and function grapher.

x = 1, y ≈ 3.3  Unfortunately I also got z = 2/0  whoops!  Surprisingly, this didn't appear to affect the working for x and y.  Hhmm.

LATER EDIT:  Best answer.  x = 1.75, y = 3.5, z = 14/3

This answer fits my earlier equations and has no strange values for z. 

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob