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Find the greatest integer m m such that m m divides to n 5 5 n 3 + 4 n n + 2 \dfrac{n^5 - 5n^3 + 4n}{n+2} for all natural number n n .


The answer is 24.

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2 solutions

Rishabh Jain
Feb 16, 2016

n 5 5 n 3 + 4 n n + 2 = ( n 2 ) ( n 1 ) ( n ) ( n + 1 ) ( n + 2 ) ( n + 2 ) \Large\frac{n^5 - 5n^3 + 4n}{n+2}=\frac{(n-2)(n-1)(n)(n+1)\color{#D61F06}{(n+2)}}{\color{#D61F06}{(n+2)}} = ( n 2 ) ( n 1 ) ( n ) ( n + 1 ) \Large =(n-2)(n-1)(n)(n+1) which has lowest positive integral value as 24 \large\boxed{24} which must also be the greatest integer which divides the given expression for all natural numbers n.(Induction can be used to prove that (n-2)(n-1)(n)(n+1) is divisible by 4 for all natural numbers 'n'.. Refer here for a proof)

Yes, it is... You can also not to use induction , between (n-2) ,(n - 1), n and (n +1) there is a multiple of 4 and a multiple of 2 and a multiple of 3....

Guillermo Templado - 5 years, 4 months ago

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Yeah .. There are variety of methods..

Rishabh Jain - 5 years, 4 months ago

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You must have posted your solution while I was in the process of typing up mine, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered. Oh well ... our presentation styles differ a bit so I'll leave my solution up anyway. :)

Brian Charlesworth - 5 years, 4 months ago

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@Brian Charlesworth My Number Theory is very bad (I'm only level 3 in NT) yet I managed to relate things and found relevant Text related to product of four consecutive integers( didn't knew it before) and yes our presentation styles are different ;-) ..... Anyways Congrats on your 750+ days streak on brilliant .. :-}

Rishabh Jain - 5 years, 4 months ago

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@Rishabh Jain Your number theory knowledge seems fine to me. :) In general the product of any n n consecutive integers will be divisible by n ! n! .

P.S.. I'm almost afraid to break my streak in case that might bring me bad luck. :P

Brian Charlesworth - 5 years, 4 months ago

@Rishabh Jain Level on Brilliant doesn't mean anything...I have seen a lot of people with level 5 in... and they really don't deserve it...For example me, on Classical mechanics... keep on like this, and you soon will be on level 5

Guillermo Templado - 5 years, 4 months ago

Or precisely Among 4 consecutive natural numbers there are three 'different' numbers which are multiple of 2,3 and 4 respectively.

Rishabh Jain - 5 years, 4 months ago

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Yes, that is Rishab, thank you

Guillermo Templado - 5 years, 4 months ago

We note first that

n 5 5 n 3 + 4 n = n ( n 4 5 n 2 + 4 ) = n ( n 2 4 ) ( n 2 1 ) = n ( n 2 ) ( n + 2 ) ( n 1 ) ( n + 1 ) n^{5} - 5n^{3} + 4n = n(n^{4} - 5n^{2} + 4) = n(n^{2} - 4)(n^{2} - 1) = n(n - 2)(n + 2)(n - 1)(n + 1) ,

which when divided though by n + 2 n + 2 and then rearranged yields ( n 2 ) ( n 1 ) ( n ) ( n + 1 ) (n - 2)(n - 1)(n)(n + 1) .

For both n = 1 n = 1 and n = 2 n = 2 the given expression equals 0 0 , so we can now focus on looking for the greatest integer m m that divides the product of any 4 4 consecutive positive integers. Now, at the very least, for any such product one of the terms will be divisible by 2 2 and another by 4 4 , and at least one will be divisible by 3 3 . Thus m m must divide 2 4 3 = 24 2*4*3 = 24 , and since for n = 3 n = 3 the given expression comes out to 24 24 we can have m m no greater than 24 24 . Thus m = 24 m = \boxed{24} .

Yes, that is Brian, thank you

Guillermo Templado - 5 years, 4 months ago

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Nice problem. Going one step further, we could look for the greatest m m that divides

n 7 14 n 5 + 49 n 3 36 n n + 3 \dfrac{n^{7} - 14n^{5} + 49n^{3} - 36n}{n + 3} .

This factors to ( n 3 ) ( n 2 ) ( n 1 ) ( n ) ( n + 1 ) ( n + 2 ) (n - 3)(n - 2)(n - 1)(n)(n + 1)(n + 2) , i.e., the product of 6 6 consecutive integers. At the very least 3 3 terms will be divisible by 2 2 with at least one of these being divisible by 4 4 . Also 2 2 of the terms will be divisible by 3 3 and one by 5 5 , so m = 2 2 4 3 3 5 = 720 m = 2*2*4*3*3*5 = 720 , which is also the value of the expression for n = 4 n = 4 .

Brian Charlesworth - 5 years, 4 months ago

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A great pattern of even factorials can be seen if we extend this problem to greater exponents. Nice!

Mahdi Raza - 8 months, 4 weeks ago

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