In the system of equations below, is a positive integer.
The system has exactly one ordered-pair solution , where both and are real. What is the value of ?
When a system includes both and expressions involving together with , consider using the sum and difference variables and . This often changes the first equation into a circle and lets you count solutions by identifying whether a fixed coordinate gives two points on the circle or just one endpoint point.
Hints
Introduce new variables
Try setting and . Rewrite the first equation using these two expressions.
Eliminate one variable
Use to rewrite using only .
Connect the number of solutions to the circle
For a fixed value of , consider how many possible values of satisfy . Determine when there can be only one.
Desmos Guide
Use algebra first
Algebra is the fastest method because the substitutions and explain why most values produce two ordered pairs. Desmos can verify the endpoint result.
Graph the transformed equations
Enter and . Let Desmos create a slider for .
Find the one-intersection positive value
Adjust the positive slider until the second graph has exactly one intersection with the circle. The intersection occurs on the horizontal axis at the rightmost point of the circle, confirming the positive value of .
Step-by-step Explanation
Use sum and difference variables
Let and . Then
Therefore, .
Rewrite the second equation
Because
and , it follows that
The second equation becomes
Determine when there is one ordered pair
For any value strictly between and , the equation gives two values of : one positive and one negative. These produce two different ordered pairs .
At or , however, , so there is only one ordered pair.
Evaluate the endpoint values
The expression increases on the interval from to . For in this interval,
and the factor in parentheses is at least , so the difference is positive.
Thus, evaluate the endpoints:
Since is positive, its value is .