# Math question: closed form solution **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 22, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-question-closed-form-solution/438798 "2008-02-22T23:49:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-question-closed-form-solution/438798/1 "2008-02-22T23:49:41Z")
Question for the math wizzes: Assume 0 \< e \< 1 0 \< p \< 1 g \> 0 Is there a closed-form solution to the following equation? p_x^(2+2_e) + g\*(1-p)_x^2 - g_p_x^(2_e) - (1-p) = 0 I can find a numerical solution using Matlab, and it works just fine for my purposes, but I’m curious whether it has a closed-form solution. It has such a “nice” look to it that I figure that there must be a way to re-arrange it and find a closed form solution to it. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-question-closed-form-solution/438798/2 "2008-02-23T00:29:32Z")
Maple doesn’t find anything. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-question-closed-form-solution/438798/3 "2008-02-23T00:58:10Z")
[QUOTE=ultrafilter] Maple doesn’t find anything. [/QUOTE] I just tried Mathematica, and it says ```auto Solve::tdep: The equations appear to involve the variables to be solved for in an essentially non-algebraic way. ``` So, maybe it is hopeless.