Question

Difficulty: MediumIntegers, Absolute Value, and Number Lines

What is the sum of all integer values of yy that satisfy the inequality 2y37|2y - 3| \le 7?

Answer: 12

Answer

The sum of all integer values of yy that satisfy the inequality is 12.
Solving the inequality 2y37|2y - 3| \le 7 requires setting up the compound inequality 72y37-7 \le 2y - 3 \le 7. Adding 3 to all parts gives 42y10-4 \le 2y \le 10, and dividing by 2 yields the interval 2y5-2 \le y \le 5. The integers in this closed interval are 2,1,0,1,2,3,4-2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 55. Summing these values gives 12, as the terms 2-2 and 1-1 cancel out with 22 and 11.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Set up the compound inequality
72y37-7 \le 2y - 3 \le 7
An absolute value inequality of the form ab|a| \le b translates to bab-b \le a \le b.
2
Isolate the term containing yy
42y10-4 \le 2y \le 10
Add 3 to all three parts of the compound inequality to eliminate the 3-3.
3
Solve for yy
2y5-2 \le y \le 5
Divide all three parts of the inequality by 2.
4
Identify the integer solutions in the interval
2,1,0,1,2,3,4,5-2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
The inequality includes the endpoints, so the integers satisfying the inequality are all integers from 2-2 through 55, inclusive.
5
Calculate the sum of the integers
12
Adding the integers: (2)+(1)+0+1+2+3+4+5=12(-2) + (-1) + 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 12. The negative integers cancel out their corresponding positive counterparts (2-2 and 22, 1-1 and 11).

Key Concept

Solving compound inequalities derived from absolute value inequalities and finding the sum of the integer solution set.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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