Question

What are to numbers whose difference is 16 and is as small as possible?

Answer 1

TWO numbers. A and B, A being the greater.
Difference is 16. A - B = 16
Product is A*B = ?????

Only guessing at what it wanted. Please provide a better problem statement and your best work.,

Answer 2

Let x = one number
x - 16 = send number (whose difference is 16)

You want the product x(x-16) = x^2 - 16x to be as small as possible.

Pretty straightforward...as you can find the minimum point of this parabola (via x = -b/2a, the line of symmetry passing through the minimum of the parabola, etc.).

Answer 3

...assuming, of course, that we have any idea at all what the actual problem is.

Answer 4

The actual problem is to find two numbers whose difference is 16 and whose product is a minimum.

Answer 5

Who told you that? Nothing like a magic problem statement to make life interesting.

Answer 6

Thats how I read the problem, just the author of the problem spelled two as to...but it was clear to me what he meant.

Answer 7

Perhaps I read it wrong.....