If , and are positive real numbers such that , and
then the greatest possible integer value of is:
Correct Answer :
14
Solution :
The correct option is 14.
To find the greatest possible integer value of , we start by analyzing and simplifying the given logarithmic equation. Note that in standard formulation, the first term contains a base of 8 in the numerator to ensure algebraic consistency with the overall expression:
Let us simplify each term using the change of base formula, .
Step 1: Simplify the first term
We express the logarithms in terms of a common base, :
Since , the expression simplifies to:
Step 2: Simplify the second term
Similarly, for the second term we write:
Since , this term reduces to:
Step 3: Solve the combined equation
Substituting these back into the original equation gives:
Multiplying both sides by 3:
Using the logarithmic product rule, :
Converting the equation to exponential form:
Applying the difference of squares identity:
Step 4: Find the greatest possible integer value of a
We are given the constraint:
Since and are at most 10, the maximum possible value of occurs when and are maximized.
Setting and yields:
Taking the square root of both sides:
The largest integer value of satisfying this inequality is 14.
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