<PRE><B>Question 1196562</B>
let x = the current age of elias.
let y = the current age of shui.
x = y + 48 means elias is currently 48 years older than shui.
x - 9 = 3 * (y - 9) means that elias was 3 times as old as shui 9 years ago.
replace x in the second equation with y + 48 from the first equation to get:
y + 48 - 9 = 3 * (y - 9)
simplify to get:
y + 39 = 3y - 27
subtract y from both sides of the equation and add 27 to both sides of the eqution to get:
39 + 27 = 3y - y
combine like terms to get:
66 = 2y
solve for y to get:
y = 33
since x = y + 48, then x = 48 + 33 = 81.
you have x = 81 and y = 33
9 years ago, x would have been 81 - 9 = 72 and y would have been 33 - 9 = 24.
72 is equal to 3 * 24, confirming the requirements of the problem.
your solution is that elias is 81 years old.
</PRE>