woohoo921 wrote:
To clarify, what if it was set equal to a number different than 6 such as 7.... xy(xy-1)=7
Can you still not simplify and set xy=0 and xy-1=7 to solve for xy? In other words, do you need to have the right side of the equation equal to 0?
I'm going to respond to your question with a question,
woohoo921, because I'd rather teach you how to fish than give you a fish.
Say you know that xy(xy-1)=7.
In other words, the product of two numbers (xy and (xy - 1)) is 7.
Is it reasonable to infer that one of those numbers is 7? Why, or why not?
Side note: if we were told that the two numbers were positive integers, we could infer that one of them is 1 and the other is 7 (because 7 is a prime number). And, since we're on the subject, if you are told that the product of
two different positive integers is the square of a prime number (p^2), you can infer that the two numbers are 1 and p^2.
How am I coming up with these "rules?" I'm just using quantitative
reasoning.
If you like, come join me at one of my live AMA sessions on Zoom, where we can all practice this kind of reasoning together. Your first AMA is completely free of charge, using the free 7-day trial at
quantreasoning.com