Unifying scheme

After solving many different problems, it is worth pausing to recognise what they have in common.

Observation — Unifying scheme

All these problems have the same structure: a single unknown satisfying a single linear equation of the form $ax+b=cx+d$. When the problem involves two independent quantities (and hence two unknowns), a system of equations is needed — the subject of the next chapter. The leap from a single equation to a system is the key cultural leap between Year One and Year Two.

Links

Topics: First-degree equations
Concepts: Equation · Unknown
Skills: Modelling