Final Answer:
You hold 100 shares in each of the 4 companies.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to determine the number of shares held in each company, we can set up a system of equations. Let x represent the number of shares held in each company. Since you have a total of 400 shares, the equation would be 4x = 400. To find the value of x, divide both sides of the equation by 4. Therefore, x = 100. This means you hold 100 shares in each of the 4 companies.
Now, let's delve into the mathematical explanation. The equation 4x = 400 is derived from the fact that you have 4 companies, each with x shares, and the total number of shares is 400. Solving for x, you divide both sides by 4, which isolates x. Thus, x = 100, indicating the number of shares in each company. The subscript notation (x₁, x₂, x₃, x₄) would represent the shares in the respective companies.
In summary, through the equation 4x = 400, you ascertain that the number of shares in each company is 100. This is achieved by dividing the total number of shares by the number of companies. The subscript notation x₁ = 100, x₂ = 100, x₃ = 100, and x₄ = 100 encapsulates the distribution of shares across the four companies, resulting in a balanced holding of 100 shares in each.