Solve: |x - 1| / |x + 3| < 1
Multiply both sides by |x + 3| ---> |x - 1| < 1 · |x + 3| ---> |x - 1| < |x + 3|
There are up to four possibilities:
1) x - 1 <= 0 ---> x <+ 1 and x + 3 <= 0 ---> x <= -3 ---> x <= -3
---> -(x - 1) < -(x + 3)
-x + 1 < -x - 3
1 < -3
2) x - 1 <= 0 ---> x <= 1 and x + 3 >= 0 ---> x >= -3 ---> -3 <= x <= 1
---> -(x - 1) < x + 3
-x + 1 < x + 3
-2 < 2x
-1 < x ---> x > -1
3) x - 1 >= 0 ---> x >= 1 and x + 3 <= 0 ---> x <= -3
4) x - 1 >= 0 ---> x >= 1 and x + 3 >= 0 ---> x >= -3 ---> x >= 1
---> x - 1 < x + 3
-1 < 3 1>
Combining x > -1 or x >1 ---> x > -1