document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=158850>Question 158850</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I am thinking of three consecutive numbers. If I multiply the first with the second and then subtract three times the third the result is 57. What are the numbers? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #116989 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=nabla><B>nabla(475)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-10.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=nabla><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=116989\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> 3 numbers:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "a<BR>\n" );
document.write( "a+1<BR>\n" );
document.write( "a+2\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "words to symbols:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "a(a+1)-3(a+2)=57<BR>\n" );
document.write( "a^2+a-3a-6=57<BR>\n" );
document.write( "a^2-2a-63=0<BR>\n" );
document.write( "(a+7)(a-9)=0<BR>\n" );
document.write( "so a=-7 or a=9. We want a to exist in the set of integers. Thus, we exclude a=-7 as a solution.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The numbers, then, are 9, 10, 11.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Check:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "9(10)-3(11)=90-33=57\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "yes </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );