There may be some trick that gives an easier way than to solve for all the letters, but here it is that way:Solve the first two equations for a, by Cramer's rule: Solve the 2nd and 3rd equations for a, by Cramer's rule: Set the first and second values for a equal: Multiply both sides by equation 1: ----------------------------- Solve the 3rd and 4th equations for a, by Cramer's rule: Set the second and third values for a equal: Multiply both sides by equation 2: Set the values of x from equations 1 and 2 equal x and y cannot be equal because the first two given equations would be inconsistent. For if they were equal, we'd have Nultiplying thru by x gives or that would give x=10, not what we got for y. Therefore by symmetry of x and y, one of them has the + sign and the other has the minus sign. So we choose them so that and Since , so , so Rationalizing the denominator we get By symmetry, or by substituting, So Edwin