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jmc

algebra junior

Problem

Which of the following quantities is the largest? (Write , , or .)
Solution
This problem illustrates how algebra can clarify arithmetic. Comparing these quantities directly is a chore. Instead, we note that the first and third choices are both of the form for and . Rewriting this expression algebraically leads to In particular both and are larger than 2. It is easy to verify that choice is equal to 2, so it cannot be the answer. Finally, note that larger values of produce smaller results, implying that is the largest. (It is also possible to guess the answer by trying examples involving much smaller numbers.)
Final answer
\text{A}