Something extremely easy

[okunyg]

Too bad I've forgot how to do this though. I'll paste the problem:

f(x) = 16000 + 50x + 0.2x^2

What happens if x = x+1 (increase by one)?

I believe it's something like this:

50(x + 1) + 0.2(x+1)^2 ->
50x + 50 + 0.2(x^2 + 2x1 + 1^2) ->
50x + 50 + 0.2x^2 + 0.2x + 0.2 ->
(I'm not sure about the next step because of my bad algebra skills): Possibly ->
50.2x + 50.2 + 0.2x^2
or
50x + 50.2 + 0.4x^2

Could anybody please help?
Thanks. :)

[Werg22]

Not to be mean or anything, but it would be best if you found out by yourself... something like this is better not answered by others.

[okunyg]

Well, sure. But could you tell me if I was at least thinking correctly?

[Werg22]

Yes you were. Look up for "distributive law" on google to get more insight.

[VietDao29]

Too bad I've forgot how to do this though. I'll paste the problem:

f(x) = 16000 + 50x + 0.2x^2

What happens if x = x+1 (increase by one)?

I believe it's something like this:

50(x + 1) + 0.2(x+1)^2 ->
50x + 50 + 0.2(x^2 + 2x1 + 1^2) ->
50x + 50 + 0.2x^2 + 0.2x + 0.2 ->
(I'm not sure about the next step because of my bad algebra skills): Possibly ->
50.2x + 50.2 + 0.2x^2
or
50x + 50.2 + 0.4x^2

Could anybody please help?
Thanks. :)

The first 2 lines are correct. However, the 3rd is not.

Ok, I am pretty sure that you have covered the distributive property of multiplication over addition, right?
It goes like this:
a . (b1 + b2 + b3 + ... + bn) = a.b1 + a.b2 + ... + abn

Ok, in your problem, we have:
50 (x + 1) + 0.2 (x2 + 2x + 1)

Apply the above property, we have:
... = 50x + 50 + 0.2 x2 + 0.2 * 2 x + 0.2
= 50x + 50 + 0.2 x2 + 0.4 x + 0.2

I believe you can take it from here. :)

[okunyg]

I really, really need to brush up on my algebra.

50x+50 + 0.2x^2 + 0.4x + 0.2

I believe the correct answer was 50.2 + 0.4x. I can't look in my book since a friend borrowed it.

50.4x+50.2 + 0.2x^2 is my answer

I'm not able to solve it. Could you do me a favor and help me out a little? I'm not actually studying math at the moment, I'm just playing around, thus my knowledge is at a bad state.

[BSMSMSTMSPHD]

You might also try putting it in standard form: y=a(x-h)^{2}+k where (h,k) is the vertex of the parabola. Then, replacing x by x+1 simply shifts the curve 1 unit to the left (ie, decreases h by 1). The process is called completing the square. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Completing_the_square)

f(x) = 16000 + 50x + 0.2x^2

5f(x) = 80000 + 250x + x^2

5f(x) = 80000 - 15625 + 15625 + 250x + x^2

5f(x) = 80000 - 15625 + (x + 125)^2

5f(x) = 64375 + (x + 125)^2

f(x) = 0.2(x + 125)^2 + 12875

So, the vertex is (-125, 12875). Replacing x by x+1, we get:

f(x + 1) = 0.2(x + 126)^2 + 12875

which has a vertex of (-126, 12875), one unit to the left of the original.

The nice thing about this method is that you can replace x with x + anything and it's already simplified.