# Help this poor lurker with algebra **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 11, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-poor-lurker-with-algebra/200906 "2003-09-11T03:21:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Taion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@Taion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taion)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-poor-lurker-with-algebra/200906/1 "2003-09-11T03:21:13Z")
Yo. I’ve been fighting with this stupid thing for hours now. 2x + 1 / 8 - 1/4 = x - 3 / 2 + 1 I keep getting x = -3/2 for an answer, and that doesn’t work when I check it. My fancy graphing calculator says that x = -3/8, and that works, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to end up at that. I would be eternally grateful if someone could take the time to sort this out. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-poor-lurker-with-algebra/200906/2 "2003-09-11T03:41:41Z")
Add the like terms on both sides, the numbers. ==\> 2x + 1/8 - 2/8 = x - 3/2 + 2/2 2x + (-1/8) = x - 1/2 2x - 1/8 = x - 1/2 move the terms to the other side 2x + (-x) - 1/8 + (1/8) = x + (-x) - 1/2 + (1/8) add the like terms again x + 0 = 0 - 3/8 x = -3/8 ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-poor-lurker-with-algebra/200906/3 "2003-09-11T04:44:13Z")
I get the same answer with essentially the same algebra. FWIW.