Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2020

Algebra Difficulty 1.1 Junior Find the answer Canada

When x=3x=3 and y=4y=4, the value of xyxxy-x is

33
44
1212
99
1515

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

Solution

When x=3x=3 and y=4y=4, we get xyx=3×43=123=9xy - x = 3 \times 4 - 3 = 12 - 3 = 9.

Alternatively, xyx=x(y1)=3×3=9xy - x = x(y-1) = 3 \times 3 = 9.

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Source: CEMC, University of Waterloo, licensed CC-BY-NC-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.