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Inequalities

Inthetopicinequalities,wegenerallycomeacrossvarioussetsonrealline.So,letusfirstknowabout
thesesetswhicharegenerallycalledintervals.

ClosedInterval
Letaandbbetwogivenrealnumberssuchthata<b.Thenthesetofallrealnumbersxsuchthat
a x bisaclosedintervalandisdenotedby[a,b].
[a,b]={x R a x b}
[a,b]isthesetofallrealnumberslyingbetweenaandbincludingtheendpoints.

Openinterval
Letaandbtwogivenrealnumberssuchthata<b.Thenthesetofallrealnumbersxsuchthata<x<bis
aopenintervalandisdevotedby(a,b).
[a,b]={xR:a<x<b}
(a,b)isthesetofallrealnumberslyingbetweenandbexcludingtheendpoints.

SemiopenorSemiclosedinterval
Letaandbbetworealnumberssuchthata<b.Thenthesets(a,b]={xR:a<x b}and[a,b)={xR:
a x<b}areknownassemiopenorsemiclosedintervals.

RulespertainingtooperationsonInequalities:

(i)Whenanynumberisaddedorsubtractedfrombothsidesofaninequality,thesignofinequality
remainssame.
If5x4>4x1,wecansurelysaythat5x4x>1+4i.e.x>3becauseweareessentiallyadding4and
subtracting3xfrombothsides.Thusonecantransposetermsfromonesidetoothersidebychangingtheir
signsandtheinequalitysignwillremainthesame

(ii)ifbothsidesofaninequalityaremultipliedordividedbythesamenumber,theinequalitysigndoes
notalwaysremainthesame.Ifthenumbermultipliedordividedwithispositive,thesignremainsthe
samebutifthenumberisnegativetheinequalitysignreverses.

Thus xy > 34 cannotberestatedas4x>3y.Thisisbecauseherewearemultiplyingbothsidesby4yand

sincewedonotknowthesignof4y,wecannotbesureoftheinequalityremainingthesame.Formore
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proof,though 2 1 > 34 ,yet8>3iswrong.

Thuswhenwecrossmultiply,wehavetobecarefulandshouldknowthesignoftheexpressionweare
multiplyingwith.Intheaboveexampleifweknewthatxisnegative,wecaninferthatyisnegative(x/yis
positiveandifxisnegative,yhastobenegative)andthenwecanbesurethat4x<3y.Notethatthe
inequalitysignhaschangedaswearemultiplyingwith4ywhichisnegative.

SolvedExamples

1.Solve 1 x > 15
(a)Wecannotcrossmultiplysincewedontknowwhetherxispositiveornegative.
Case1:Ifx>0
5>x
x<5
So0<x<5

Case2:Ifx<0
5<x
x>5
Nosolution.
SoSolutionsetforgiveninequationis0<x<5.

2.Solve 1 x < 15
Wecannotcrossmultiplysincewedontknowwhetherxispositiveornegative.

Case1:Ifx>0
5<x
x>5

Case2:Ifx<0
5>x
x<5
Butweknowthatx<0

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Solutionsetforgiveninequationisx<0orx>5.

3.Solve: x + 3 x + 4 1
x + 3x + 4 1 0
x + 4
x + 3 x 4
1x + 4 > 0

ab > 0 and a < 0 b < 0

x(,4]

4.Ifx 27x+12<0.findtherangeofx.
x 27x+12<0
(x3)(x4)<0
3<x<4
Thisisoftypeab<0.Thisispossiblewhentheproductoftwoisnegative.Ratherthantrying
possibilities,asimplerwayalsoexists.(x3)willbenegativewhenifx<3andpositiveofx>3.
Similarly,(x4)willbenegativeifx<4andpositiveifx>4
Combiningabovepossibilities,wehave
Ifx>4,bothtermswillbepositiveandhencetheproductwillbepositive.
If3<x<4,(x3)remainpositiveandby(x4)willbenegative.Hencetheproductwillbenegative.
since,weneedtheproducttobenegative,thesolutionwillbe3<x<4.
Ratherwritingaboveall,wecansimplyplotthepointswherethetermswillchangethesigns,onanumber
lineasfollows.

Thenumberlinerepresentsallvaluesfromto+.However,itisbrokeninvariousregions,three
regionsforthisinequality.Nowwehavetoidentifythosevaluesofxthatsatisfythegiveninequality,

Fortherightmostregion,x>4,alltermswillbepositiveandhencetheproductwillbepositive.Forthe
regionfromtheright,onetermwillturnnegativeandthustheproductwillbenegativeinthisrange.Forthe
thirdregionfromrightside,twotermswillturnnegativemakingproductpositiveforthisrangeofx.

5.x 2x30>0,findtherangeofx.
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(x+5)(x6)>0
Drawingandrepresentingthisonnumberline.

i,e.Xdoesntliebetween5and6.So,x>6orx<5

6.x 24x+3 0,findtherangeofx.

(x1)(x3) 0
Representingthisonnumberline

i,exliesbetween1 x 3.

7.x 2+8x33 0
(x+11)(x3) 0
Representingthisonnumberline

Hence,x3 orx 11.

8.Solveforthefollowingconditionsx 2+8x33 0,x 2 36

Solution:Firstwehavetofindthesolutionsetforseparateequations.
(a)x 2+8x33 0
(x+11)(x3) 0
Hence,x 3orx 11

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(b)x 2 36
x 2(6)2 0
(x+6)(x6) 0
Hence,x 6orx 6
Nowcombiningthesolutionsfrom(a)and(b).

Fromabovetwonumberlinewecanconcludethattheregionfromx 11orx 6ispossibleforboth.

Hence,requiredsolutionisx 11orx 6.

2
9. x + 2 x 16

<

<

5x + 4

6x 4x x 2

(1)4
(2)3
(3)2
(4)1
(5)1
Ans:

x + 2 x 2 16

5x + 4

6x 4x x 2

Cancellingx,intherighthandterm

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x + 2 x 2 16

Inequalities

)( )( )
5x + 4

<

64 x

Multiplyingthenumeratoranddenominatorby1inrighthandterm

x + 2 x 2 16

)( ) ( )
5x + 4

<

6x 4

x + 2(x 4)(x + 4) 5 x + 4 + 6 x 4 < 0

2x + 46(x 4)(x + 4) < 0
x + 23(x 4)(x + 4) < 0
Sotheaboveinequalityisvalidfor,numeratorisnegativeanddenominatorispositive.Sox<23andx<
4,x>4.Nonumbersatisfythisrange
ortheaboveinequalityisvalidfor,numeratorispositiveanddenominatorisnegative.Sox>23and4<x
<4.
Hence3isthelargestintegerwhichsatisfiestheinequality.
Henceoption2

10. x 10 x 9

30 x 2 81

)(
>

15xx + 9

(1)12
(2)15
(3)9
(4)0
(5)8
Ans:
x 10 x 9 30 x 2 81 > 15xx + 9
x 10 x 9 30(x 9)(x + 9) > 15xx + 9
(x 10)(x + 9) 30 15x(x 9)

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(x 9)(x + 9)

>0
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x 2 x 90 30 15x 2 + 135x
120 14x 2 + 134x

(x 9)(x + 9)

(x 9)(x + 9)

7x 2 + 67x 60 (x 9)(x + 9)

>0

>0

>0

7x 2 67x + 60 (x + 9)(x 9) < 0

(7x 60)(x 1) (x + 9)(x 9) < 0
x ( 9, 1) (60 / 7, 9)
Sothelargestintegerthatsatisfiestheinequalityis0.
Henceoption4

11.(x 3)(6 x)(x 8) 2 > 0

(1)3<x>10andx 8
(2)3<x<9
(3)6<x<8andx 3
(4)3<x<6
(5)6<x<8
Ans:
(x 3)(6 x)(x 8) 2 > 0
(x 3)(x 6)(x 8) 2 < 0
As(x 8) 2isalwayspositive,thesignoftheaboveinequalitydependson(x 3)(x 6) < 0
Soxshouldlieinbetween3and6
Henceoption4
2
2
12. x 7x + 12 x + x + 1 < 0

(1)3<x<4
(2)x<3andx>4
(3)x<3
(4)4<x
(5)x<4
Ans:
2

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x 2 7x + 12 x 2 + x + 1 < 0
(x 3)(x 4) x 2 + x + 1 < 0
Fordenominator2x 2 + 2x + 1wehaveD<0.Henceispositiveforallrealvaluesofx.
Theinequalityreducesto(x+8)(x2)<0
Sowehave,8<x<2
Henceoption3

Inequalitiesundersquareroots:

Tosolvethesequestions,wehavetomakesurethattheexpressionwithinthesquarerootmustalwaysbe
positive.Alltherulesrelatedtoinequalitiesapplytothesequestions.Letushavealookatsomesolved
examples.

1.(x 3) (x 2) 2x 15 0

1.x 5
2.x 5
3.x 8
4.x 3
5.x 5
Ans:
(x 3) (x 2) 2x 15 0

(x 3) (x 2) 5x + 3x 15 0

(x 3) (x 5)(x + 3) 0

Theaboveinequalityisvalidfor
x5 0
Thatis,x 5
Henceoption1

2.(x 8) x 2 3x + 40 0

1.x 5
2.x 5
3.x 8
4.x 13
5.x 5
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Ans:
(x 8) (x 2) + 8x 5x 40 0

(x 8) (x + 8)(x 5) 0
Theaboveinequalityisvallidfor
Thatis,x 5
Henceoption2

3.2

7x 1 3 x > 1

(1)0<x<3
(2)0.5<x<6
(3)0.5<x<3
(4)0<x<6
(5)1<x<3
Ans:
2

7x 1 3 x > 1

7x 1 3 x > 1

7x 1 3 x
7x 1 3 x
8x 4 3 x
8x 4 x 3
2x 1 x 3

>1
1>0
>0
<0
<0

Theaboveinequalityisnegative,whennumeratorispositiveanddenominatorisnegativeornumeratoris
negativeanddenominatorispositive,So2x1>0andx3<0, x>1/2andx<3 for0.5<x<3the
aboveinequalityissatisfied.
Henceoption2

4.

6x 8 5 2x > 2

(1)0.75<x<25
(2)0<x<5
(3)2<x<5
(4)5<X<11
Ans:
5 2x
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6x 8 5 2x > 2 2
6x 8 5 2x > 4
6x 8 5 2x 4 > 0
14x 28 5 2x > 0
x 2 2x 5 < 0
So,wehave,
2<x<2.5
Henceoption5

5. 1

2x 1 x 2

< 12

1. 23 < x < 2
2.x > 23
3.x > 2
4.x < 2
5.Noneofthese
Ans:

(
1

2x 1 x 2

1 (2x 1)
x 2 2x + 1

x2

< 12

< 14
< 14

x2

Asx 2ispositive,wecancrossmultiply.
4x 2 8x + 4 < x 2
3x 2 8x + 4 < 0
(3x 2)(x 2) < 0
x < 2andx > 23
Henceoption4

6. 1

x + 3 x2

< 34

1. 12 7 < x 1 3
2.x 1 13

and 1 13

x<4

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3.x 1 13
4. 12 7 x 4
5.Noneofthese
Ans:

(
1

x + 3 x2

< 34

2
1 x + 3 x < 9 16
x2
x2 x 3
< 9 16
16x 2 16x 48 < 9x 2
7x 2 16x 48 < 0
7x 2 28x + 12x 48 < 0
(7x + 12)(x 4) < 0
7x + 12 > 0andx 4 < 0
x > 12 7 andx < 4(1)

Alsowecheckthenumeratorisgreaterthan0ornot.
x2 x 3 0
b b 2 4ac

x < 1 1 + 13

2a
2

= 1 1 4.1. 3
andx > 1 + 1 + 13

= 1 1 + 13

(2)

Combiningtheabovetworesultsweget 12 7 < x 1 3

and 1 13

x<4

Henceoption1

Inequalitieswithmodulusfunction:

Youmustcommittomemorythesethumbrulesbeforeyousolvethequestions.If|f(x)|<k,wegettwo
equationsf(x)<kandf(x)>k
Takeanexample | x 2 8x | <9
Ifx 2 8xispositive,then | x 2 8x | = x 2 8x
Wegetx 2 8x<9
If | x 2 8x | isnegativethen | x 2 8x | = (x 2 8x)
Weget (x 2 8x) < 9 x 2 8x > 9
Thereforewegettwoequationsx 2 8x < 9andx 2 8x>9

1. | x 2 8x | <9
1.1 x<9
2.x ( 1, 4 7) (4 + 7, 9)
3.x (1 4 7) (4, 9)
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4.x ( 1, 4 7) (4 + 7, 9)
5.1 x 9
Ans:
Fromtheabovediscussion,
Ifx 2 8xispositive,then | x 2 8x | = x 2 8x
and | x 2 8x | isnegativethen | x 2 8x | = (x 2 8x)
x 2 8x < 9(1)
and (x 2 8x) < 9 x 2 8x > 9(2)
From(1)(x + 1)(x 9) < 0 1 < x < 9(3)
From(2)x 2 8x + 9 > 0
Using, b

4ac

2a

= 8

( 8)

4.1.9

2.1

= 4 7

Weknowthatforf(x)>0,xshouldnotlieintheroots.
x < 4 7orx > 4 + 7(4)
From(3)and(4),weget
x ( 1, 4 7) (4 + 7, 9)
Henceoption2

2. | x 2 12x | < 45
1. 15 x 3
2.15 x 3
3.15 < x < 3
4. 15 < x < 3
5. 15 x < 3
Ans:
| x 2 12x | < 45
Wehavex 2 12x < 45andx 2 12x > 45
x 2 12x 45 < 0(1)andx 2 12x + 45 > 0(2)
Solvingthefirstequation,
(x 15)(x + 3) < 0
3 < x < 15(3)
Forsecondequation,b 2 4ac = ( 12) 2 4.1.45 = 144 180 = 36 < 0
Sonorealsolutionexist.
Soonly 3 < x < 15holdsgood.
Option4.
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Inequalities

3. | x 2 5x | < 4x
(1)x<9
(2)15<x3
(3)1<x<9
(4)x>1
(5)9<x<1
Ans: | x 2 5x | < 4x
x 2 5x < 4xandx 2 5x > 4x
x 2 5x 4x < 0andx 2 5x + 4x > 0
x(x 9) < 0andx(x 1) > 0
Forx(x 9) < 0wehavex (0, 9)
Forx(x 1) > 0wehavex<0andx>1
Takingthecommonregionfromaboveweget1<x<9
HenceOption3

4. | x 2 + 12x | < 16x

(1)28<x<4
(2)0<x<4
(3)4<x<28
(4)28<x<4
ANS:
| x 2 + 12x | < 16x
x 2 + 12x < 16xandx 2 + 12x > 16x
x 2 + 12x 16x < 0andx 2 + 12x + 16x > 0
x(x 4) < 0andx(x + 28) > 0
Forx(x 4) < 0wehavex (0, 4)
Forx(x + 28) > 0wehavex ( , 28) (0, )
Takingthecommonregionfromaboveweget0<x<4.
Henceoption2

5. | x 2 + 7x + 14 | < 4x + 14
(1)3<x<7
(2)7<X<11
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(3)3<x<0
(4)4<x<3
(5)7<x<3
Ans:
| x 2 + 7x + 14 | < 4x + 14
x 2 + 7x + 14 < 4x + 14andx 2 + 7x + 14 > (4x + 14)
x 2 + 7x 4x < 0andx 2 + 7x + 14 > 4x 14
x(x + 3) < 0andx 2+ 11x + 28 > 0
x(x + 3) < 0and(x + 7)(x + 4) > 0
Forx(x + 3) < 0wehavex ( 3, 0)
For(x + 7)(x + 4) > 0wehavex ( , 7) ( 4, )
So,wehave,3<x<0
Henceoption3

6.x 2 14x + 42 < | 2x 22 |

(1)x<10
(2)x<8
(3)2<x<10
(4)2<x<8
(5)0<x<8
Ans:
If(2x22)>0then | 2x 22 | =2x22
If(2x22)<0then | 2x 22 | =(2x22)
Sowehavex 2 14x + 42 < 2x 22andx 2 14x + 42 > (2x 22)
x 2 14x 2x + 42 + 22 < 0andx 2 14x + 42 + 2x 22 < 0
x 2 16x + 64 < 0andx 2 12x + 20 < 0
(x 8)(x 8) < 0and(x 2)(x 10) < 0
(x 8) 2cantbelessthan0forrealvaluesofx.
For(x2)(x10)<0wehavex (2, 10)
Notethatherewehavetotakeunionofthetwosetsofsolutionsandnotintersection.
Henceoption3

Inequalitieswithlogarithmicfunctions:

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Log0isnotdefinedalsologisforpositivenumbers.Sowehavetokeepthesetwothingsinmindtosolve
thesequestions.

1.log 64 3xx + 1 > 13

1)4>x
(2)4>xandx>1
(3)4<x<1
(4)1<x<4
(5)x 4andx 4
Ans:
log 64 3xx + 1 > 13
3xx + 1 < 64 13
3xx + 1 < 4
3xx + 1 4 < 0
x 4 x + 1 < 0
x + 4x + 1 > 0

x ( , 4) ( 1, )
Henceoption2.

2.log 0.4(x 2 13.5) 1

(1) 4 x 4
(2)x 5
(3)x 0
(4)x 5andx 2
(5)x 4andx 4
Ans:
log 0.4(x 2 13.5) 1
x 2 13.5 0.4 ( 1 )
x 2 13.5 2.5
x 2 16 0
(x + 4)(x 4) 0
x 4andx 4
Henceoption5.

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3.log(x 2 36) log(4x 11)

(1)4 x 6.11916
(2)x<6
(3)6<x<7.38
(4)x>6
(5)Noneofthese
Ans:
log(x 2 36) log(4x 11)
log(x 2 36) log(4x 11) 0

2
log x 36 4x 11

x 2 36 4x 11 1
x 2 36 4x 11 1 0
x 2 36 4x + 11

4x 11

x 4x 25 4x 11 0
(x (2 29))(x (2 + 29))
x ( , 2 29)

11 4 , 2 + 29

4x 11

Wealsoknowthatx 2 36 0and4x 11 > 0

x ( , 6) (6, )andx > 11 4
Combiningallconditionsweget,

x (6, 2 + 29)
Henceoption3.

4.9 x 10.3 x + 9 0
(1)1<x<2
(2)1<x<9
(3)0 x 2
(4)2 x 9
(5)Noneofthese
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Ans:
9 x 10.3 x + 9 0
Let3 x = a
a 2 10a + 9 0
a [1, 9]
x [0, 2]
Henceoption3.

52 )
5.log x (8.5x

>2

(1) 13 < x < 52

(2) 13 < x < 52
(3) 5 2 < x < 13
(4)0 < x < 13
(5)Noneofthese
Ans:

52
log x 8.5x

>2

Case1:x 1

8.5x 52

> x2

8.5x 52 > 3x 2
6x 2 + 17x 5 > 0
(2x5)(3x+1)>0
(2x5)(3x1)<0
x

( )
[ )
1 3, 52

x 1, 52

Case2:0<x<1

8.5x 52

< x2

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(2x 5)(3x 1) > 0

( )
( ) ( )

x 0, 13
x 0, 13

1, 52

Henceoption5.

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