A number theory problem by Ilham Saiful Fauzi

Find the sum of all possible n n such that the following numbers are prime: n + 1 , n + 3 , n + 7 , n + 9 , n + 13 , n + 15 n+1, n+3, n+7, n+9, n+13, n+15


The answer is 4.

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1 solution

Sam Bealing
Jun 9, 2016

The six numbers ( m o d 5 ) \pmod{5} are:

n + 1 , n + 3 , n + 2 , n + 4 , n + 3 , n n+1,n+3,n+2,n+4,n+3,n

As these give five different residues ( m o d 5 ) \pmod{5} it follows one of them is divisible by 5 5 as they are prime, one of the equals 5 5 .

Using n + 1 2 n 1 n+1 \geq 2 \Rightarrow n \geq 1 and n + 1 5 n 4 n+1 \leq 5 \Rightarrow n \leq 4 gives us n = 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 n=1,2,3,4 to test:

n = 1 2 , 4 , 8 2 4 n = 2 3 , 5 , 9 , 3 9 n = 3 4 , 6 , 2 4 n = 4 5 , 7 , 11 , 13 , 17 , 19 n=1 \Rightarrow 2,4,8 \cdots \quad \quad \color{#3D99F6}{2 \vert 4} \\ n=2 \Rightarrow 3,5,9, \cdots \quad \quad \color{#3D99F6}{3 \vert 9} \\ n=3 \Rightarrow 4,6, \cdots \quad \quad \color{#3D99F6}{2 \vert 4} \\ n=4 \Rightarrow 5,7,11,13,17,19

All these six numbers are prime so our only solution in n = 4 n=4 giving the sum of possible values of n as:

4 \color{#3D99F6}{\boxed{\boxed{4}}}

Moderator note:

I think you got mixed up looking at the 6 numbers, and looking at their residues modulo 5.

If we accept that prime numbers must be positive, then we only need to check n + 1 = 5 , n + 3 = 5 n + 1 = 5, n + 3 = 5 .

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