document.write( "Question 807800: how do you solve an equation of the form
\n" ); document.write( "xsin(a/x) = b ? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #486543 by Edwin McCravy(20060)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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document.write( "There is no algebraic way to get a general solution when the \r\n" );
document.write( "unknown appears both inside and outside of a so-called \r\n" );
document.write( "'transcendental' function such as a trigonometric or logarithmic.\r\n" );
document.write( "In general, such solutions can only be approximated by iterative \r\n" );
document.write( "methods or infinite series.\r\n" );
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document.write( "The iterative method essentially is:\r\n" );
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document.write( "1. Try a number for an answer\r\n" );
document.write( "2. Find that it doesn't work.\r\n" );
document.write( "3. Find out if the answer tried is too big or too small.\r\n" );
document.write( "4. If it's too big try one smaller, or if it's too small, try one bigger.\r\n" );
document.write( "5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 and get as close as you like to an exact\r\n" );
document.write( "   solution, or until the approximate answer you get is close enough\r\n" );
document.write( "   for your purposes.\r\n" );
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document.write( "That's what calculators and computers do.\r\n" );
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document.write( "An infinite series is a formula with an infinite number of terms,\r\n" );
document.write( "and you can only substitute in a finite number of them and get an\r\n" );
document.write( "approximate answer.\r\n" );
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document.write( "For example,\r\n" );
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document.write( "x*sin(2/x) = .5 has an approximate solution of \r\n" );
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document.write( "x = 0.808219009492025...\r\n" );
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document.write( "and that would do for any practical application but it's not\r\n" );
document.write( "an exact solution.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin
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