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Elementary Linear Algebra: Applications Version
A problem on a Babylonian tablet requires finding the length and width of a rectangle given that the length and the width add up to $10,$ while the length and one-fourth of the width add up to $7 .$ The solution provided on the tablet consists of the following four statements:
Multiply 7 by 4 to obtain 28 Take away 10 from 28 to obtain $18 .$ Take one-third of 18 to obtain $6,$ the length. Take away 6 from 10 to obtain $4,$ the width.
Explain how these steps lead to the answer.