2015 AMC 10B Problem 3
Isaac has written down one integer two times and another integer three times. The sum of the five numbers is , and one of the numbers is What is the other number?
Show solution without answering
Key insight
If 28 is written twice, the other number is 44/3, not a whole number. So 28 is written three times and the other is 8.
Solution
Call the number written twice and the number written three times . The five numbers add to , so
We are told one of the numbers is , but not which one. So try both.
- Suppose . Then , so and . That is not a whole number, but the problem says both numbers are integers. So this case is impossible.
- Suppose . Then , so and . This is a whole number.
- Check: . It works.
The other number is .
The answer is .
Why this works
The problem hides which role plays, so the safe move is to test both roles. The word "integer" is what rules one of them out, because it gives a fraction. When a word problem says the numbers are integers, expect that to throw out a case.
Concise solution
A shorter write-up, the way contest solutions are usually written. It may take a different route from the solution above.
Let be the integer written twice and the integer written three times, so . The number is either or .
If : then , so , which is not an integer. Rejected.
If : then , so . This is an integer, and checks.
The answer is .
Review in the AoPS books
- Introduction to Algebra, Chapter 3: One-Variable Linear Equations (§3.3, §3.4)
- Introduction to Number Theory, Chapter 1: Integers: The Basics
- Introduction to Algebra, Chapter 7: Proportion (§7.4)
- Introduction to Algebra, Chapter 20: Special Functions (§20.3)
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Problem © Mathematical Association of America (MAA), American Mathematics Competitions. Reproduced for non-commercial educational use. Solution and commentary are original to this site.