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Difficulty: 3/102022 NMTC 2022 (QIII-1)

Find value of sqrt(2 - sqrt(2 - sqrt(2 - sqrt(2 - )))) + sqrt(2 + sqrt(2 + sqrt(2 + sqrt(2 + ))))

Guide / Hint

Hint 1: Evaluate the first infinite radical as a quadratic equation: .

Hint 2: Evaluate the second infinite radical as a quadratic equation: .

Hint 3: Add the two values to find the final answer.

Solution

Step 1 (Evaluate First Term): Let the first nested radical expression be :

Since the radical is infinite, we can substitute inside the outer root:

Step 2 (Evaluate Second Term): Let the second nested radical expression be :

Similarly, substitute inside the outer root:

Step 3 (Calculate Sum): We add the two values:

Step 4 (Conclusion): The value of the expression is exactly 3.

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