Given that x is GREATER than or equal to -3 and less than or equal to 7 and y is
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document.write( "GREATER than or equal to 4 and less than or equal to 10. Find the smallest
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document.write( "possible value of x-y and x/y.
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document.write( "Notice that I changed two of your words \"less\" to \"GREATER\" to make more sense.\r\n" );
document.write( "I'm pretty sure you mistook LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO (< for GREATER THAN OR\r\n" );
document.write( "EQUAL TO >.\r\n" );
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document.write( "We want the smallest value of x-y. We can ADD inequalities in the same order,\r\n" );
document.write( "but we CANNOT SUBTRACT them!! So we rewrite the second one by multiplying\r\n" );
document.write( "through by -1, which reverses the inequality symbols:\r\n" );
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document.write( "But now the inequality symbols are not in the same directions, so we can always\r\n" );
document.write( "change the direction of an inequality by switching the largest and smallest\r\n" );
document.write( "expressions. So we do that with the first inequality\r\n" );
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document.write( "Now we can add them term by term:\r\n" );
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document.write( "So the smallest possible value of x-y is -13.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Now we'll find the smallest value of x/y.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Since there are both positive and negative numbers to form the quotient of,\r\n" );
document.write( "and since all negative numbers are smaller than all positive numbers, the\r\n" );
document.write( "answer must be a negative number. The smallest possible value of x/y will be\r\n" );
document.write( "the most negative number possible, or the negative number with the greatest\r\n" );
document.write( "absolute\r\n" );
document.write( "value. That is when x=-3 any y=4.\r\n" );
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document.write( "So the smallest possible value of x/y is -3/4.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin
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document.write( "![\"\"](\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\")
