Answer:
The numbers are 18 and 91
Step-by-step explanation:
You can translate the information to two equations:
<em>a value 5 times a smaller number is 1 less than a larger number</em>
5a = b - 1
<em>their difference is 73</em>
b - a = 73
Then you should merge one equation into the other, thereby eliminating one variable. You can do this any way you want. I choose to rewrite the first equation as:
b = 5a + 1
Now I can write 5a+1 in the second equation at the place where b was:
5a + 1 - a = 73
It is now an equation with only one variable, solve by simplifying
4a = 72
a = 18
Now b can be found using b = 5a + 1
b = 91