PART 2

PROBLEM

Sample Calcs for Part 1a

T = Total Votes for Republicans & Democrats combined
  = 100,000,000

X = Democrat total
Y = Republican total

D = Total Democrats should have gotten = .545 * 100 million 
  = 54,500,000 (that is, the 54.5% The Professor said they
                should get)

X + Y = 100,000,000  (equation 1) GIVEN
X - Y =     200,000  (equation 2) GIVEN
---------------------
2X    = 100,200,000  (equation 3=add eqn1 to eqn2,+Y & -Y cancel)
hence
    X =  50,100,000  (in eqn 3 divide both sides by 2)
    Y =  49,900,000 = 100,000,000 - X (from equation 1)

(check your progress: 50,100,000 - 49,900,000 = X - Y = 200,000
which DOES NOT CONTRADICT equation 2 so OK, GREAT, GOOD...proceed)

and since 
    D = 54,500,000 (Votes Democrats should have gotten)
    X = 50,100,000 (Votes Democrats got)
----------------------
D - X =  4,400,000 = 4.4 million 
                   = (Votes Democrats lost on their own
                      ...without any "help" from "evil" 
                      Republicans, et al)


which is the answer given for Part 1a

Return to PROBLEM Statement

Return to Books & Articles