Expert: Sherman D. - 8/30/2005

Question
Hi. I  have never used this site before and only searched for it in desperation so apologies if I'm totally off the track, but I have a difficult situation to deal with at work and think it can be helped if I can solve an equation (if it actually can be solved?)
Although I'm an accountant I really know nothing about solving equations so without going into complex details of the situation, I've managed to summarize my problem as follows, where I need answers to the values of a,b,c,d & e....if it is even possible.

(a X 1)+(b X 0.73)+(c X 0.5)+(d X 0.346)+(e X 0.23) = 1

I feel rather foolish asking, as this may either be simple or impossible but my head is spinning with it and I need someone to set me straight.

Hoping you can help somehow.
Yours in desperation
cherry  

Answer
If by X you mean to multiply, then the problem can be written like this

a + .73b + .5c + .346d + .23e = 1

now if only you can give me the actual problem to which you say you summarized from.

because a,b,c,d,e can each have a different value that can equal 1, for ex:

a = 1, while the other variables = 0
b = 1.369863014, while the other variables = 0
c = 2, while the other variables = 0
d = 2.89017241, while the other variables = 0
e = 4.347836087, while the other variables = 0