A truck must deliver furniture to stores located in 5 different cities A, B, C, D, and E. The truck must start and end its route at A. The time (in hours) for travel between the cities is given in the graph to the right. Find the cheapest-link tour for this TSP and give its cost in hours.
Find the cheapest-link tour.

(2 x^3 + 7 x^2 + 5 x + 2)/(x (x + 2))

step-by-step explanation:

simplify the following:

x/x^2 + 3 x + 2 - (x (x + 1))/(x + 2)

combine powers. x/x^2 = x^(1 - 2):

x^(1 - 2) + 3 x + 2 - (x (x + 1))/(x + 2)

1 - 2 = -1:

x^(-1) + 3 x + 2 - (x (x + 1))/(x + 2)

put each term in 1/x + 3 x + 2 - (x (x + 1))/(x + 2) over the common denominator x (x + 2): 1/x + 3 x + 2 - (x (x + 1))/(x + 2) = (x + 2)/(x (x + 2)) + (3 x^2 (x + 2))/(x (x + 2)) + (2 x (x + 2))/(x (x + 2)) - (x^2 (x + 1))/(x (x + 2)):

(x + 2)/(x (x + 2)) + (3 x^2 (x + 2))/(x (x + 2)) + (2 x (x + 2))/(x (x + 2)) - (x^2 (x + 1))/(x (x + 2))

(x + 2)/(x (x + 2)) + (3 x^2 (x + 2))/(x (x + 2)) + (2 x (x + 2))/(x (x + 2)) - (x^2 (x + 1))/(x (x + 2)) = ((x + 2) + 3 x^2 (x + 2) + 2 x (x + 2) - x^2 (x + 1))/(x (x + 2)):

(2 + x + 3 x^2 (x + 2) + 2 x (x + 2) - x^2 (x + 1))/(x (x + 2))

3 x^2 (x + 2) = 3 x^3 + 6 x^2:

(2 + x + 3 x^3 + 6 x^2 + 2 x (x + 2) - x^2 (x + 1))/(x (x + 2))

2 x (x + 2) = 2 x^2 + 4 x:

(2 + x + 6 x^2 + 3 x^3 + 2 x^2 + 4 x - x^2 (x + 1))/(x (x + 2))

-x^2 (x + 1) = -x^2 - x^3:

(-x^2 - x^3 + 3 x^3 + 6 x^2 + 2 x^2 + 4 x + x + 2)/(x (x + 2))

grouping like terms, 3 x^3 - x^3 + 6 x^2 + 2 x^2 - x^2 + 4 x + x + 2 = (3 x^3 - x^3) + (6 x^2 + 2 x^2 - x^2) + (x + 4 x) + 2:

((3 x^3 - x^3) + (6 x^2 + 2 x^2 - x^2) + (x + 4 x) + 2)/(x (x + 2))

3 x^3 - x^3 = 2 x^3:

(2 x^3 + (6 x^2 + 2 x^2 - x^2) + (x + 4 x) + 2)/(x (x + 2))

6 x^2 + 2 x^2 - x^2 = 7 x^2:

(2 x^3 + 7 x^2 + (x + 4 x) + 2)/(x (x + 2))

x + 4 x = 5 x:

answer:   (2 x^3 + 7 x^2 + 5 x + 2)/(x (x + 2))

a

step-by-step explanation: