If then the product of all possible values of x is
Correct Answer :
20
Solution :
The correct option is 20.
We are given the exponential equation:
Step 1: Simplify the exponential terms
Let
.
Substitute y into the exponent terms:
Rewrite base 9 as :
Multiply the entire equation by to clear denominators, or express in terms of :
Substitute (where t > 0):
Multiply the entire equation by 729:
Step 2: Solve the quadratic equation for t
We look for factors of 19683 that sum to 324:
Notice that
and
.
So the equation factors as:
Thus, the roots for t are:
or
Step 3: Solve for y
Since
:
1. If
,
then
2. If
,
then
Step 4: Solve for x
Recall that
.
Case 1:
Let the roots of this equation be and . By Vieta's formulas, the product of roots is:
Case 2:
Let the roots of this equation be and . By Vieta's formulas, the product of roots is:
Step 5: Find the product of all possible values of x
The product of all four real solutions x1, x2, x3, and x4 is:
Thus, the product of all possible values of x is 20.
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