if Ax + b = 0, then x = -b/a
This is not a huge surprise. They probably teach this to high school kids.
But until today, when faced with an equation like the one above, I would do it step by step, like so:
2x + 3 = 0
2x = -3
x = -3/2
Of course I'm not a yukel. I noticed that the constant term always ended up being the numerator and that the coefficient ended up being the denominator. I just never thought about it long enough to start using a formula to solve equations instead of the step-by-step approach.
So I guess the point of this post is that today I thought of something which there's no excuse for me not thinking of before.
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Well I do it step by step too... just really fast...
ReplyDeleteIf you do it step by step really fast, you might make a mistake, like forgetting to flip the sign of the constant term. Hence the benefit of this formula.
ReplyDeleteNo in your head if you know basic algebra it's not an issue....
ReplyDeleteYeah!
ReplyDelete