Factorial Perfect Square Product

What is the greatest integer value of x x such that x ! x! can be multiplied by a prime integer to equal a perfect square?

Notation: ! ! is the factorial notation. For example, 8 ! = 1 × 2 × 3 × × 8 8! = 1\times2\times3\times\cdots\times8 .


The answer is 10.

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1 solution

Sam Gilbert
Dec 23, 2016

We can go through the prime factorization of each integer value of x. Since a prime will be multiplied by x! to yield a perfect square, we want exactly one of the prime factors to be of odd multiplicity. This is true for 2, 6, and 10. Ten is the largest with a prime factorization of: 2 8 × 3 4 × 5 2 × 7 2^{8} \times 3^{4} \times 5^{2} \times 7 . We can confirm that prime factors of multiplicity one (odd) will be added too quickly to the factorization, given Bertrand's Postulate. Thus, our answer is 10 \boxed{10} , where 10! can be multiplied by 7 (prime) to give a perfect square.

How do you prove that 10 is the highest using Bertrand's Postulate?

A Former Brilliant Member - 4 years, 4 months ago

Tried all 3, kikiki.

Saya Suka - 4 years, 5 months ago

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