Define the following functions:(a) (a M b) = a – b (b) (a D b) =...
The minimum would depend on the values of a and b. Thus, cannot be determined.
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Define the following functions:(a) (a M b) = a – b (b) (a D b) =...
To find the function with the minimum value, we need to compare the functions (a M b), (a D b), (a H b), and (a P b) and determine which one produces the smallest output for any given values of a and b.
1. (a M b) = a * b: This function multiplies the values of a and b together. The result will be the product of a and b.
2. (a D b) = a / b: This function divides the value of a by the value of b. The result will be the quotient of a divided by b.
3. (a H b) = (a * b): This function multiplies the values of a and b together. The result will be the product of a and b.
4. (a P b) = a / b: This function divides the value of a by the value of b. The result will be the quotient of a divided by b.
To determine the function with the minimum value, we need to consider different scenarios:
- If both a and b are positive numbers, then the functions (a M b) and (a H b) will produce the same result. Therefore, we can eliminate (a H b) as it is equivalent to (a M b).
- If both a and b are negative numbers, then the functions (a M b) and (a H b) will produce the same result. Therefore, we can eliminate (a H b) as it is equivalent to (a M b).
- If a is positive and b is negative, the function (a M b) will produce a negative result, while (a D b) and (a P b) will produce positive results. Therefore, (a M b) will have the minimum value in this scenario.
- If a is negative and b is positive, the function (a M b) will produce a negative result, while (a D b) and (a P b) will produce negative results. Therefore, (a D b) and (a P b) will have the minimum value in this scenario.
Based on the above analysis, we can conclude that the function with the minimum value cannot be determined without knowing the signs of a and b. Therefore, the correct answer is option D) Cannot be determined.