How to solve the integral equation? How to solve the integral equation
$$  \int_{-20}^{x} \left|  \left|  \left|  \left|  \left|  \left|
 \left|  \left| t \right| -1 \right| -1 \right| -1 \right| -1 \right|
-1 \right| -1 \right| -1 \right| \,{\rm d}t={\frac {4027}{2}}?$$

The main tough part is getting a grasp on the function in the integral.  Let
$$
A_0(t) = |t|
$$
and for $n > 0$
$$
A_n(t) = |A_{n-1}(t) - 1|
$$
Then the function integrated is $A_7(t)$ (count the -1's).
Now it is easy to prove (by a two-step induction proof on odd and even $n$) that for all $n \in \Bbb{Z}$
$$
|t| \leq n  \Longrightarrow  A_{n}(t) = |t| - n 
$$
and 
$$
\int_{-n}^{n} A_{n}(t)dt = n $$
So, for $x > 7$, 
$$
\int_{-20}^{-7}A_7(t)dt = \int_{-20}^{-7} (-t-7) dt + 7 + \int_{7}^{x}(t-7)dt = \frac{169}{2} + 7 + \frac{(x-7)^2}{2}
$$
Then 
$$\frac{183}{2} + \frac{(x-7)^2}{2}= \frac{4027}{2}$$
$$(x-7)^2 = 3844 $$
$$x = 62+7 = 69 $$
(The other solution, $x = -55$, clearly does not satisfy the original problem, since the integrand is always non-negative, so an integral from $=20$ to $-55 < -20$ is necessarily negative.)
