Explanation:
2 numbers multiplied equals -3
a × b = -3
the same 2 numbers added is -2
a + b = -2
a = -2 - b
we use this in the first equation
(-2 - b) × b = -3
we can see already here that one solution must be b=1 and a=-3.
but let's continue formally
-2b - b² = -3
-b² - 2b + 3 = 0
solving that quadratic equation based on the general formula
x = (-b ± sqrt(b² - 4ac))/(2a)
in our case
x is named b (but is not the b of the general formula).
a = -1
b = -2
c = 3
b = (- -2 ± sqrt(-2² - 4×-1×3))/(2×-1) =
= (2 ± sqrt(4 + 12))/-2 = (2 ± sqrt(16))/-2 =
= (2 ± 4)/-2
b1 = (2+4)/-2 = 6/-2 = -3
b2 = (2-4)/-2 = -2/-2 = 1
for b1 we get an a1 :
a1 = -2 - b1 = -2 - -3 = -2 + 3 = 1
for b2 we get an a2 :
a2 = -2 - b2 = -2 - 1 = -3
so, there is only one combination of 2 numbers that fulfill the description : one has to be 1, and the other has to be -3