The sum of a number and twice its reciprocal is 3
the phrase a number means an arbitrary variable, let's call it x.
x
The reciprocal of a number means we take 1 over that number:
1/x
Twice the reciprocal means we multiply 1/x by 2:
2/x
The sum of a number and twice its reciprocal
x + 2/x
The word is means equal to, so we set x + 2/x equal to 3
x + 2/x = 3
the phrase a number means an arbitrary variable, let's call it x.
x
The reciprocal of a number means we take 1 over that number:
1/x
Twice the reciprocal means we multiply 1/x by 2:
2/x
The sum of a number and twice its reciprocal
x + 2/x
The word is means equal to, so we set x + 2/x equal to 3
x + 2/x = 3