Off by One

X = 2 a + 1 = 3 b + 2 = 4 c + 3 X = 2a + 1 = 3b + 2 = 4c + 3

If X , a , b , c X, a, b, c are all positive integers, what is the smallest possible value of X X ?


The answer is 11.

This section requires Javascript.
You are seeing this because something didn't load right. We suggest you, (a) try refreshing the page, (b) enabling javascript if it is disabled on your browser and, finally, (c) loading the non-javascript version of this page . We're sorry about the hassle.

4 solutions

Naren Bhandari
May 15, 2018

a = X 1 2 b = X 2 3 c = X 3 4 a = \dfrac{X-1}{2} \quad b = \dfrac{X-2}{3} \quad c =\dfrac{X-3}{4} a , b , c a,b,c are positive integers if X X is the odd integer less by 1 than that of l.c.m ( 2 , 3 , 4 ) \text{l.c.m} (2,3,4) . Since l.c.m ( 2 , 3 , 4 ) \text{l.c.m}(2,3,4) is 12 12 and X = 12 1 = 11 X = 12-1 =11 .

a a , b b and c c has positive integer solution if k ( l.c.m ( 2 , 3 , 4 ) ) 1 , k N k\cdot\,( \text{l.c.m}(2,3,4)) -1 , k\in\mathbb N .

Diego Perez
May 17, 2018

1. X = 2 a + 1 1. X = 2a+1

2. X = 3 b + 2 2. X= 3b+2

3. X = 4 c + 3 3. X=4c+3

Actually 3. 3. it is telling the same and more information that 1. 1. so we can ignore it. Equaling 2 2 and 3 3 we have a super simple Diophantine Equation that has solutions b = 3 b=3 and c = 2 c=2 , substituting, X = 11 X=11

X X
May 16, 2018

X 1 ( m o d 2 ) , X 1 ( m o d 3 ) , X 1 ( m o d 4 ) X\equiv-1(mod2),X\equiv-1(mod3),X\equiv-1(mod4) .So X 1 ( m o d 12 ) X\equiv-1(mod12) ,smallest positive X is 12-1=11

Nice! That's how I created this problem :)

Chung Kevin - 3 years ago

Help me with this concept i didn't understand.

abhi lash - 1 year, 5 months ago

Log in to reply

Check out chinese remainder theorem

Chung Kevin - 1 year, 5 months ago
Theodore Sinclair
May 15, 2018

4c+3 is going to be the largest value for the smallest integer so we can use trial and error to check. If c=1, x=7 which does not give an integer value for b. When c=2, all values are integers and X=11.

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...