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What's the smallest positive integer value of n > 4 n > 4 that 125 n 3 + 4 n 2 20 n 48 125 \ | \ n^3 + 4n^2 - 20n - 48 ?


The answer is 19.

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1 solution

Henry U
Jan 13, 2019

The expression factors into

n 3 + 4 n 2 20 n + 48 = ( n 4 ) ( n + 2 ) ( n + 6 ) n^3+4n^2-20n+48=(n-4)(n+2)(n+6) .

For this to be divisible by 125 = 5 3 125=5^3 , there have to be at least 3 factors of 5 in the product.

If ( n + 2 ) (n+2) is divisible by 5, then ( n 4 ) (n-4) and ( n + 6 ) (n+6) aren't so all three 5's have to come from ( n + 2 ) (n+2) , which would make n n at least 125.

If ( n 4 ) (n-4) is divisible by 5, then so is ( n + 6 ) (n+6) , while ( n + 2 ) (n+2) isn't. To have three factors of 5, one of the two has to be divisible by 25, but to minimize n n , this factor should be ( n + 6 ) = 25 (n+6)=25 .

So, n = 19 n=\boxed{19} , and 125 15 21 25 125 | 15 \cdot 21 \cdot 25 .

Great solution, although the problem was not that difficult.

Thành Đạt Lê - 2 years, 4 months ago

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