What is the product of x and y?
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What is the product of x and y?
To solve this problem, we'll follow these steps:
Now, let's work through each step:
Step 1: We start with the provided equation:
Given that , we substitute:
which simplifies to:
Step 2: We know from the identity of a square of a difference:
Given , we can write:
Step 3: We set up a system of equations:
(Equation 1)
(Equation 2)
Subtract Equation 2 from Equation 1:
Simplifying the left side gives :
Divide both sides by 2:
Therefore, the product of and is .
\( (4b-3)(4b-3) \)
Rewrite the above expression as an exponential summation expression:
The question only asks for the product xy, not the individual values! By using algebraic identities, you can find xy = 1 without solving for x and y separately, which is much more efficient.
Look for patterns in your equations. When you see , think of the expansion: . This connects to through the 2xy term.
There are actually multiple (x,y) pairs that satisfy this system! For example, (x,y) could be (2, 1/2) or (-2, -1/2). But notice that in both cases, .
Substitute xy = 1 back into your work. Check that and are consistent when .
Yes! Notice that subtracting the second equation from the first gives: . So , which means !
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