My calculator don't have that much storage

Algebra Level 4

k = 1 2015 k 2 + k k 2 + 5 k + 6 \large \prod_{k=1}^{2015} \frac{k^2 + k}{k^2+5k+6}

If the product above can be written as ( a 4 × b × c × d × e 2 ) 1 \left(a^4 \times b \times c \times d \times e^2 \right)^{-1} for distinct primes a , b , c , d , e a,b,c,d,e , evaluate a + b + c + d + e a+b+c+d+e .

You may use the List of Primes as a reference.


The answer is 3038.

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3 solutions

Nicolas Vilches
Jul 26, 2015

We can rewrite this as:

k = 1 2015 k ( k + 1 ) ( k + 2 ) ( k + 3 ) \displaystyle \prod_{k=1}^{2015} \frac{k(k+1)}{(k+2)(k+3)}

= k = 1 2015 [ k k + 1 k + 1 k + 2 k + 1 k + 2 k + 2 k + 3 ] \displaystyle =\prod_{k=1}^{2015} \left[ \frac{k}{k+1} \cdot \frac{k+1}{k+2} \cdot \frac{k+1}{k+2} \cdot \frac{k+2}{k+3} \right]

Solving the four telescopic products:

= 1 2016 2 2017 2 2017 3 2018 \displaystyle =\frac{1}{2016} \cdot \frac{2}{2017} \cdot \frac{2}{2017} \cdot \frac{3}{2018}

And simpliflying, we get

= 1 2 4 3 7 1009 201 7 2 \displaystyle =\frac{1}{2^4 \cdot 3 \cdot 7 \cdot 1009 \cdot 2017^2}

And our answer is 2 + 3 + 7 + 1009 + 2017 = 3038 2+3+7+1009+2017=\boxed{3038}

Efren Medallo
Jun 2, 2015

This fraction could be simplified as

( 2015 ! ) × ( 2016 ! ) 2017 ! 2 × 2018 ! 6 \huge \frac {(2015!) \times (2016!)}{ \huge \frac {2017!}{2} \times \frac {2018!}{6} }

By simplification, this becomes

2 2 × 3 × 2015 ! × 2016 ! ( 2017 × 2016 × 2015 ! ) × ( 2018 × 2017 × 2016 ! ) \huge \frac { 2^{2} \times 3 \times {\color{#D61F06}{2015! }} \times {\color{#D61F06}{2016}!} } {\huge (2017 \times 2016 \times {\color{#D61F06}{2015!}}) \times (2018 \times 2017 \times {\color{#D61F06}{2016!}}) }

We easily cancel the numbers in red, then we factorize the numbers, which yield us

2 2 × 3 201 7 2 × 1009 × 2 6 × 3 2 × 7 \huge \frac {2^{2} \times 3} { 2017^{2} \times 1009 \times 2^{6} \times 3^{2} \times 7}

Thus, cancelling the terms we get

( 2 4 × 3 × 7 × 1009 × 201 7 2 ) 1 \large ( 2^{4} \times 3 \times 7 \times 1009 \times 2017^{2} )^{-1}

Giving us

2 + 3 + 7 + 1009 + 2017 = 3038 \large 2 + 3 + 7 + 1009 + 2017 = {\color{#3D99F6} {3038}} .

Moderator note:

It would be better to clarify this line.

This fraction could be simplified as ( 2015 ! ) × ( 2016 ! ) 2017 ! 2 × 2018 ! 6 \frac {(2015!) \times (2016!)}{ \frac {2017!}{2} \times \frac {2018!}{6} }

Yes, this is an approach that doesn't deal with telescoping product.

Doug Boyd
Jun 1, 2015

The fraction can be factored as k ( k + 1 ) ( k + 2 ) ( k + 3 ) \frac{k(k+1)}{(k+2)(k+3)} , so consider the expansion of the product from this form:

( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 6 ) . . . ( 2014 ) ( 2015 ) ( 2016 ) ( 2017 ) ( 2015 ) ( 2016 ) ( 2017 ) ( 2018 ) \frac{(1)(2)}{(3)(4)}*\frac{(2)(3)}{(4)(5)}*\frac{(3)(4)}{(5)(6)}*...*\frac{(2014)(2015)}{(2016)(2017)}*\frac{(2015)(2016)}{(2017)(2018)}

Note that the numerator of the 3rd fraction matches the denominator of the first fraction. This pattern would continue until the end, and allows us to reduce almost everything, leaving only the following:

( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 2016 ) ( 2017 ) ( 2017 ) ( 2018 ) \frac{(1)(2)(2)(3)}{(2016)(2017)(2017)(2018)}

By reducing the numerator with the 2016, we get:

1 ( 168 ) ( 201 7 2 ) ( 2018 ) \frac{1}{(168)(2017^{2})(2018)}

It is helpful to point out that 2017 and 1009 are primes, so the prime factorization of the denominator goes quickly into:

1 ( 2 4 ) ( 3 ) ( 7 ) ( 1009 ) ( 201 7 2 ) \frac{1}{(2^{4})(3)(7)(1009)(2017^{2})}

Thus, 2 + 3 + 7 + 1009 + 2017 = 3038 2+3+7+1009+2017=\boxed{3038}

Moderator note:

Simple standard approach, recognizing that we had a canceling telescoping product.

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