Prime Addition Problem

The sum of three consecutive prime numbers is a prime number and the smallest solution can be written as the following:

P n + P n + 1 + P n + 2 = P α P_{n}+P_{n+1}+P_{n+2}=P_{\alpha}

What is P α + P n P_{\alpha}+P_{n} ?


The answer is 28.

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1 solution

Azeez Daoud
Apr 20, 2018

Since we know that the sum of those prime numbers is a prime number which is greater than 2 (it is an addition of three consecutive prime numbers and 2 is the smallest prime number) and that none of P n P_{n} , P n + 1 P_{n+1} , P n + 2 P_{n+2} is 2 because the sum of 3 and 5 is even and 2 is even as well which means that P n + P n + 1 + P n + 2 = 2 k P_{n}+P_{n+1}+P_{n+2}=2k (in case of P n = 2 P_{n}=2 ) and even numbers greater than 2 are not primes.

The case of P n = 3 P_{n}=3 is 3 + 5 + 7 3+5+7 and that is equal to 15 15 and 15 15 is not a prime number.

The case of P n = 5 P_{n}=5 is 5 + 7 + 11 5+7+11 which is equal to 23 23 which is a prime!

So P n = 5 P_{n}=5 , P n + 1 = 7 P_{n+1}=7 , P n + 2 = 11 P_{n+2}=11 and P α = 23 P_{\alpha}=23 .

P α + P n = 23 + 5 = 28 P_{\alpha}+P_{n}=23+5=28

Which is the smallest possible solution!

Your missing to write which is the smallest possible solution . :) and did the same.

Naren Bhandari - 3 years, 1 month ago

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Oh right, thank you, fixing it now! :)

Azeez Daoud - 3 years, 1 month ago

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