1. Equations and inequalities

The following questions illustrate the key concepts needed in this topic. See if you can answer them.
Click on the title for detailed discussion of how to tackle them.
Click on or hover over the question to show the answer.

$\displaystyle |x| < 5$ $ -5 < x < 5 $

$\displaystyle |x| \geq 3$ $x\leq -3 \quad \mathrm{or} \quad x\geq 3$

$\displaystyle \frac{3x^2+x-7}{x-1} > x+1$ $-2 < x < 1 \quad \mathrm{or} \quad x > \frac{3}{2}$

$\displaystyle \frac{x^2+2x+3}{2x^2+x-6} < 0$ $-2 < x < \frac{3}{2}$

$\displaystyle \frac{x^2+2|x|+3}{2x^2+|x|-6} < 0$ $x<-\frac{3}{2} \quad \mathrm{or} \quad -1 < x < 1 \quad \mathrm{or} \quad x>\frac{3}{2}$

$\displaystyle \mathrm{e}^x = 5-x^2$ $x = -2.211 \quad \mathrm{or} \quad x=1.241$

$\displaystyle \mathrm{e}^x \leq 5-x^2$ $-2.211 \leq x \leq 1.241$

$\displaystyle 2^n - 1 > 5n^2 - 4n$ $n \geq 9, \; n \in \mathbb{Z}$

$x^3 + x^2 - 3x + 1 = 0$ $x=-2.414 \quad \mathrm{or} \quad x=0.414 \quad \mathrm{or} \quad x=1 $

$\displaystyle \begin{align} x+y-z&= -0.8 \\ 2x-y+2z&=9.4 \\ x-5z &= -5 \end{align}$ $x=2.375, \; y=-1.7, \; z=1.475$

$\displaystyle y=\frac{x-1}{x^2+1}.$
Find, algebraically, the set of values that $y$ can take. $\{ y \in \mathbb{R}: \frac{-1-\sqrt{2}}{2} \leq y \leq \frac{-1+\sqrt{2}}{2} \}$