So after rereading the original post (which could have been written clearer) I think your equation in your original comment is written in a way that doesn't reflect the original post.

According to the original post the right side of the equal sign is cost plus half of the cost where cost is defined as $1. So then the equation would be x = 1+ ½(1) which solves to x = 1.5.

As even 11yos know, but apparently not you, you don't solve an equation (or a set of equations) by arbitrarily assigning values to the variable.

You are correct that assigning arbitrary values is not how to solve an equation (at least by hand), but I wasn't trying to solve the equation, I was showing that the equation as written would not be true unless 2 was used.

Juuuuuuuuuuuuust in case that your confusion is related to my usage of "→": it's clear by context that the symbol is being used for "implies".

Since the "→" notation is an alternative notation for a function, it made reading the math in your posts and the words in your posts contradictory. It would seem that you didn't read the Wikipedia link since the "→" notation is described there.