16Hit1600
AlgebraVery hardSum of the extreme integer solutions

Algebra practice question

What is the sum of the least and the greatest integer values of x that satisfy −1 ≤ (2x + 1)/3 < 3?

Answer: 1

Multiply by 3: −3 ≤ 2x + 1 < 9, so −2 ≤ x < 4. The least integer is −2 and the greatest is 3; their sum is 1.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 0
0 pairs −2 with 2.
If you answered 2
2 wrongly includes x = 4, but the right inequality is strict.
If you answered -1
−1 uses least −3 and greatest 2, forgetting to subtract 1 before halving.

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