Answer to February 9, 2004 Problem |
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The Chicken Soup Problem |
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In the comic, please note that the lowercase x is the multiplication symbol and the uppercase X is the variable. Be careful -- you must use the correct order of operations to solve this! (If you have forgotten that order, check out the algebra lesson plans section of this math page -- or use the old saying, "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.")
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Solution to the Problem:
There were many correct answers. Some of them are shown in the table below:
Dave Smith wrote a program to solve this and found 369 solutions between Y = 1 and Y =2,000. The most precise was y=912, x=14,033,183,297, cost= 25.000009004.
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1. Jeffrey Gaither | Winchester, Virginia |
2. John Funk (sent in 6 correct solutions) | Ventura, California |
3. Dave Smith (sent in 369 correct solutions) | Toledo, Ohio |
4. Matthew Reames | Roanoke, Virginia |
5. John Beasley | Winchester, Virginia |