Question x-k-x-
In the given equation, is an integer constant. If the equation has no real solution, what is the least possible value of ?
x k x - 56 = - 16 In the given equation, k is an integer
Hard-difficulty · SAT Math · Nonlinear Equations in One Variable — Quadratic solving (factoring, quadratic formula, completing square). Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.
Answer explanation
The correct answer is . An equation of the form , where , , and are constants, has no real solutions if and only if its discriminant, , is negative. Applying the distributive property to the left-hand side of the equation yields . Adding to each side of this equation yields . Substituting for , for , and for in yields a discriminant of , or . If the given equation has no real solution, it follows that the value of must be negative. Therefore, . Adding to both sides of this inequality yields . Dividing both sides of this inequality by yields , or . Since it's given that is an integer, the least possible value of is .
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