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Jyoti Verma

Jyoti Verma

“Exploring the world through numbers, thoughts, and stories. Writing about math, meaning, and the strength of women.”

Solve this basic algebra

2 min readApr 21, 2025

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algebra question by Jyoti

Algebra is not just a branch of mathematics — it's like a game. And just like any game, it's fun only when you understand the rules. Let’s understand this with a simple example:

Solve:

x + x × x = 20

This seems like a simple equation, and with a little thought, you might find the answer. But what if the numbers were bigger? Let’s go step-by-step.

First, try to solve this with a pen and notebook.
Some people may get confused about the correct way to solve it. Should we do:

x + (x × x)

or (x + x) × x?
Let’s clear the confusion.

Follow the BODMAS rule

In math, we follow a specific order of operations called BODMAS:

Brackets > Orders (powers) > Division > Multiplication > Addition > Subtraction

So in this equation: x + x × x, we must solve the multiplication first.

That means:
x + (x × x) = 20
Which becomes:
x + x² = 20

Rearranging the equation

Let’s move all terms to one side to get a quadratic equation:
x + x² − 20 = 0
or
x² + x − 20 = 0

Now, we need to solve this quadratic equation.

Factorization

We need to split the middle term (+x) into two numbers that:

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Multiply to give the last term (−20)

And add to give the middle term (+x or +1)
Let’s try +5x and −4x:

+5x + (−4x) = +x (works!)

+5 × (−4) = −20 (also works!)
So we rewrite the equation as:
x² + 5x − 4x − 20 = 0

Now, group the terms:

(x² + 5x) − (4x + 20)

Take out common factors from each group:

x(x + 5) − 4(x + 5)

Now, factor out the common binomial:

(x − 4)(x + 5) = 0

Now set both factors equal to 0:

1. x − 4 = 0 → x = 4
2. x + 5 = 0 → x = −5

possible answers are

4 and -5

x = 4 or x = −5

try to solve — x+x×x=56

thankyou

writer — Jyoti Verma

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Jyoti Verma
Jyoti Verma

Written by Jyoti Verma

“Exploring the world through numbers, thoughts, and stories. Writing about math, meaning, and the strength of women.”