Consider the possible values of ∣a+b∣ and ∣b+c∣ given that their sum is 1
step 2
Since a,b, and c are integers, ∣a+b∣ and ∣b+c∣ can only be 0 or 1 to satisfy ∣a+b∣+∣b+c∣=1
step 3
If ∣a+b∣=1, then ∣b+c∣=0 which implies b+c=0. If ∣b+c∣=1, then ∣a+b∣=0 which implies a+b=0
step 4
From step 3, we have two cases:
step 5
Case 1: If a+b=0 and b+c=1, then a−c=a−(b+c)=a−1. Since ∣a+b∣=0, a=−b, so ∣a−c∣=∣−b−1∣=∣b+1∣
step 6
Case 2: If a+b=1 and b+c=0, then a−c=a−b. Since ∣b+c∣=0, c=−b, so ∣a−c∣=∣a+b∣=1
step 7
In both cases, ∣a−c∣ must be an integer. In Case 1, ∣a−c∣ could be any non-negative integer, while in Case 2, ∣a−c∣=1
step 8
Since the asksia-ll calculator result indicates that the solution is 'False', it suggests that there is no unique solution for ∣a−c∣ based on the given information
Answer
There is no unique solution for ∣a−c∣ based on the given information.
Key Concept
Absolute Value Properties and Integer Constraints
Explanation
The sum of the absolute values ∣a+b∣ and ∣b+c∣ being equal to 1 implies that each term must be either 0 or 1, as they are integer values. However, without additional information, we cannot determine a unique value for ∣a−c∣.