# algabra problem! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 12, 2000, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/algabra-problem/36712 "2000-10-12T19:54:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zwaldd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a9adbd/32.png) [@zwaldd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwaldd)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2000, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/algabra-problem/36712/1 "2000-10-12T19:54:59Z")
either i’ve lost one too many brain cells or this is more complicated than it sounds: i have a mutual fund that, at this time, charges 5% for a withdrawal. how much would i have to withdraw to end up with exactly $5000 in hand? extra credit: show me the algebra. ---
**Author:** ![zwaldd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a9adbd/32.png) [@zwaldd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwaldd)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2000, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/algabra-problem/36712/2 "2000-10-12T20:04:19Z")
ok - it was the missing brain cells. thanks anyway. moderator can ya close this before i get made fun of. ---
**Author:** ![greyseal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@greyseal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greyseal)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2000, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/algabra-problem/36712/3 "2000-10-12T20:04:44Z")
x - .05x = 5000 (1 - .05)x = 5000 .95x = 5000 x ~ 5263.16 ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2000, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/algabra-problem/36712/4 "2000-10-12T20:07:59Z")
$5263.16 You want to find the amount such that $5000 is 95% of it. Thus: .95x=5000 x=5000/.95 ---
**Author:** ![Nukeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Nukeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nukeman)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2000, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/algabra-problem/36712/5 "2000-10-12T20:12:29Z")
okay, if you withdraw $5000 you get $5000 dollars, duh, but I want to show off so here goes: no algebra involved im afraid. Just maths. If you want to work out what 95% of something is you just go 5000 x 0.95 = 4750 so, if you withdrew $5000 you would lose $250 to work out how much you need to withdraw, just do: original amount \* 0.95 = 5000 so original amount = 5000 / 0.95 = 5263.157 (3 dp) ---
**Author:** ![Nukeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Nukeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nukeman)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2000, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/algabra-problem/36712/6 "2000-10-12T20:13:54Z")
bastards! got there while i was typing ---
**Author:** ![zwaldd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a9adbd/32.png) [@zwaldd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwaldd)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2000, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/algabra-problem/36712/7 "2000-10-12T20:42:57Z")
> [@](#): > > no algebra involved im afraid. Just maths. > > \ > > original amount \* 0.95 = 5000 > so original amount = 5000 / 0.95 that’s algebra! ---
**Author:** ![Nukeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Nukeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nukeman)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2000, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/algabra-problem/36712/8 "2000-10-12T21:50:54Z")
no its not. Algebra is with letters eg quadratic equations ---
**Author:** ![Kyberneticist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kyberneticist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyberneticist)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2000, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/algabra-problem/36712/9 "2000-10-12T22:02:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nukeman \* > \*\*no its not. Algebra is with letters > eg quadratic equations \*\* Dictionary. algebra - a generalization of arithmetic in which letters representing numbers are combined according to the rules of arithmetic You just had a really long way of writing “x”, i.e., “original amount”. Ok, so this post isn’t completely without substance, was it Lewis Carroll who said “algebra is a wonderful game, we go hunting a beast we know nothing about, so we call it x”? ---
**Author:** ![Nukeman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Nukeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nukeman)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2000, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/algabra-problem/36712/10 "2000-10-12T22:07:30Z")
okay youre right, but its not very complicated algebra - not what a mathematician would call algebra. Take a look at some Quantum equations to see what I mean ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2000, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/algabra-problem/36712/11 "2000-10-12T22:31:56Z")
Closed at the OP’s request.