Is it or isn't it?

The positive integer n n is the smallest integer that can be expressed as a sum of 3 consecutive integers, as a sum of 7 consecutive integers, and as a sum of 10 consecutive integers.

Can n n be expressed as a sum of 9 consecutive odd integers?

Yes No

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1 solution

Jaydee Lucero
Jul 4, 2017

If n n is expressable as a sum of 3 3 consecutive integers, then n = k 1 + ( k 1 + 1 ) + ( k 1 + 2 ) = 3 k 1 + 3 = 3 ( k 1 + 1 ) n=k_1 + (k_1 + 1) + (k_1 + 2) = 3k_1 + 3 = 3(k_1 + 1) We see that n n is divisible by 3 3 .

Now, if n n is expressable as a sum of 7 7 consecutive integers, then n = k 2 + ( k 2 + 1 ) + ( k 2 + 2 ) + ( k 2 + 3 ) + ( k 2 + 4 ) + ( k 2 + 5 ) + ( k 2 + 6 ) = 7 k 2 + 21 = 7 ( k 2 + 3 ) n= k_2 + (k_2 + 1)+ (k_2 + 2)+ (k_2 + 3)+ (k_2 + 4)+ (k_2 + 5)+ (k_2 + 6)=7k_2 + 21 = 7(k_2 + 3) We see that n n is divisible by 7 7 .

Finally, if n n is expressable as a sum of 10 10 consecutive integers, then n = k 3 + ( k 3 + 1 ) + ( k 3 + 2 ) + ( k 3 + 3 ) + ( k 3 + 4 ) + ( k 3 + 5 ) + ( k 3 + 6 ) + ( k 3 + 7 ) + ( k 3 + 8 ) + ( k 3 + 9 ) = 10 k 3 + 45 = 5 ( 2 k 3 + 9 ) \begin{aligned} n &= k_3 + (k_3 + 1) + (k_3 + 2) + (k_3 + 3) + (k_3 + 4) + (k_3 + 5) + (k_3 + 6) + (k_3 + 7) + (k_3 + 8) + (k_3 + 9) \\ &= 10k_3 + 45 = 5(2k_3 + 9) \end{aligned} We see that n n is divisible by 5 5 . Furthermore, we note from here that n n must be odd (since 2 k 3 + 9 2k_3 + 9 is always odd for all integers k 3 k_3 and 5 5 is odd).

To summarize, n n should be divisible by 3 , 7 , 5 3,7,5 and n n should be odd. The smallest such number is n = 3 × 5 × 7 = 105 n=3\times 5\times 7 = 105 . However, assuming n n is expressable as a sum of 9 9 consecutive odd integers, n = k 4 + ( k 4 + 2 ) + ( k 4 + 4 ) + ( k 4 + 6 ) + ( k 4 + 8 ) + ( k 4 + 10 ) + ( k 4 + 12 ) + ( k 4 + 14 ) + ( k 4 + 16 ) = 9 k 4 + 72 = 9 ( k 4 + 8 ) \begin{aligned} n &= k_4 + (k_4 + 2) + (k_4 + 4)+(k_4 + 6)+(k_4 + 8)+(k_4 + 10)+(k_4 + 12)+(k_4 + 14)+(k_4 + 16)\\&=9k_4 + 72 = 9(k_4 + 8) \end{aligned} then n n must be divisible by 9 9 . But 105 105 is not divisible by 9 9 , a contradiction.

Thus, n n is not expressable as a sum of 9 9 consecutive odd integers.

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