Problem:
Suppose that 4x1β=5,5x2β=6,6x3β=7,β¦,127x124β=128. What is x1βx2ββ―x124β ?
Answer Choices:
A. 2
B. 25β
C. 3
D. 27β
E. 4
Solution:
Since 4x1β=5,5x2β=6,β¦,127x124β=128, we have
47/2=128=127x124β=(126x123β)x124β=126x123ββ
x124β=β―=4x1βx2ββ―x124β.
So x1βx2ββ―x124β=7/2.
\section*{OR}
We have
x1βx2ββ―x124β=log4β5β
log5β6β―log127β128=log4log5ββ
log5log6ββ―log127log128β=log4log128β=log22log27β=2log27log2β=27ββ.β
The problems on this page are the property of the MAA's American Mathematics Competitions