Question

Suppose the difference of two numbers is 3. Does the sum of their squares have a minimum or maximum value? What is that value?

Answer 1

it has a minimum. We know that when you square a negative number you get a positive number. Lets start with -1 and 2. -1^2+2^2=1+4=5. Now lets check -2 and 1. -2^2+1^2=4+1=5, which is the same thing. If we check (-3 and 0) and (0 and 3), we find that they are both bigger, and if you keep going lower or higher you will get bigger numbers. So the answer is minimum, with a value of 5.

Answer 2

I did this for you here

http://www.jiskha.com/display.cgi?id=1453157019

I disagree with the answer given above.
Nowhere does it say the numbers have to be integers.