Solve the inequality x < 4 - |2x + 1|.
In order to deal with the modulus sign, we must take account of 2 possible cases:
Case 1: |2x + 1| = (2x +1). In this case we can solve algebraicly, preserving the inequality sign, to get that x < 4 -(2x + 1) = 3 - 2x. Then by adding 2x to each side and dividing both sides by 3 we get x < 1.
Case 2: |2x + 1| = -(2x +1). In this case we solve algebraicly again so that x < 4 + (2x +1) = 2x + 5. Hence by subtracting a 5 and an x from each side we get x > -5.
Finally we combine the results of each case, namely that x < 1 and x > -5 to get -5 < x < 1 as our final solution.
JC
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