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Take the dot product of the equation with $a$. Since $a\cdot (a\times r)=0$, we obtain $a\cdot r=(a\cdot c)/\lambda$. Next take its cross product with $a$ and apply the vector triple product identity:Substitute $a\times r=c-\lambda r$ and the known dot product, then rearrange:Here the vectors and $\lambda \ne 0$ are real, so the denominator is positive. The formula also covers $a=0$, giving $r=c/\lambda$. To check existence as well as uniqueness, write its numerator as $N$. The vector triple product identity gives $a\times N=\lambda a\times c-a(a\cdot c)+|a{|}^{2}c$, so $a\times N+\lambda N=({\lambda }^2+|a{|}^2)c$. Substitution verifies the original equation. This is an instance of the inverse of a scalar plus a cross-product operator.

Write $s=\hat{\mathbf{n}}\cdot \mathbf{x}$. Taking the dot product of the equation with the unit vector $\hat{\mathbf{n}}$ gives $2s+s^2=-1$, so $(s+1{)}^2=0$ and $s=-1$.

Now take the cross product with $\hat{\mathbf{n}}$. The vector triple product gives $\hat{\mathbf{n}}\times (\hat{\mathbf{n}}\times \mathbf{x})=s\hat{\mathbf{n}}-\mathbf{x}=-\hat{\mathbf{n}}-\mathbf{x}$, soThe original equation, now with $s^2=1$, also gives $\hat{\mathbf{n}}\times \mathbf{x}=\mathbf{b}-\hat{\mathbf{n}}-2\mathbf{x}$. Substitution eliminates the remaining cross product of the unknown and yieldsIts dot product with $\hat{\mathbf{n}}$ is $-1$, and direct substitution using the vector triple product verifies the original equation. The elimination gives a unique solution without choosing components. It is also an application of the inverse of a scalar plus a cross-product operator after the scalar component has been fixed.