Given:
Brooke and Samuel had same number of marbles.
Let x and y be the number of marbles Brooke and Samuel had.
At first, x=y ... (1)
(x-20)=3(y-44) .... (2)
Substitute equation (1) in (2,
[tex]y-20=3(y-44)[/tex][tex]y-20=3y-132[/tex][tex]3y-y=132-20[/tex][tex]2y=112[/tex][tex]y=56[/tex]Therefore, Brooke and Samuel each have 56 marbles each at first.
