Question 126·Hard·Linear Inequalities in One or Two Variables
For what value of is the inequality
true for every real number ?
When an inequality with a parameter must hold for every real , first move all terms to one side to get a single linear expression like . Then reason that if , the expression will eventually become negative for very large positive or very large negative , so it cannot stay nonnegative for all . Therefore set the coefficient of equal to zero, check that the constant term is nonnegative, and solve that simple equation in the parameter to find the correct answer quickly.
Hints
Move everything to one side
Try subtracting and from both sides so the inequality has on the right. Then combine like terms.
Look at the structure after simplification
After combining like terms, you should get something of the form . Identify and in terms of .
Use extreme values of x to reason about the coefficient
If in , think about what happens when becomes very large positive or very large negative. Can the inequality still hold for every real ?
Turn the condition into an equation in k
Once you know what must be true about for to hold for all , write that as an equation involving and solve.
Desmos Guide
Test each k-value by substitution
For each answer choice, substitute that value of into the inequality to get a specific inequality in . For example, if , you get , which simplifies to .
Graph the corresponding expression
For a chosen -value, rewrite the inequality so everything is on one side, like . In Desmos, enter the expression (for example, ) as a function.
Check whether the graph stays on or above the x-axis
Look at the graph of in Desmos. If any part of the graph goes below the x-axis (where ), then that does not make the original inequality true for all .
Identify the correct k
Repeat this process for each answer choice. The correct -value is the one for which the graph of the corresponding never goes below the x-axis, meaning for every shown.
Step-by-step Explanation
Combine all terms on one side
Start with
Subtract and from both sides so that the right side becomes :
Combine like terms:
- For terms: .
- For constants: .
So the inequality becomes
Think about when a linear expression is always nonnegative
We now have an inequality of the form
for all real , where here and .
Ask: When can be true for every real ?
- If , then for very large negative , becomes a large negative number, so the inequality fails.
- If , then for very large positive , becomes a large negative number, so the inequality fails.
The only way can stay for all is if , so the expression is constant, and then that constant must be .
Apply that condition to this specific inequality
From the reasoning above, for
to hold for every real :
- The coefficient of must be :
- The constant term must satisfy , which is already true, so it gives no extra restriction on .
So all we need now is to solve the equation .
Solve for k and state the answer
Solve
Add to both sides:
Divide both sides by :
This value makes the inequality equivalent to (a true statement) for all real , so the correct answer is .