Roland's Problem for the Day!!!

Simplify :

1-2+3-4+5-6. . . . . . . . + 49-50 + 49 - 48+ 47-46+ ....+1


The answer is 0.

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3 solutions

Roland Copino
Jan 11, 2015

It's just as simple as -1+1=0 , because; 1-2=-1 ; -1 x 49 = -49 ... On the other hand, 2-1 = 1 ; 1 x 49 = 49 ... Therefore, 49 + -49 = 0

Aparna Reddy
Jan 17, 2015

the answer can found as simple as they said below .

the series is 1-2+3-4+5-6.....................

first 1+3+5+7+9..............

we know the sum first n odd numbers is n^2

so, 1+3+5+7......is the sum of first 25 odd numbers .so the value is 25^2=625

this series appears twice so 625x 2=1250

next series is -2-4-6-8............

the sum of first n even numbers is given by n(n+1).

so,-2-4-6.........is the sum of first 25 even numbers .so the value is 25x26=650(-ve)

it too appears twice ,but 50 only once.so (- 650-625=-650-650+50=-1250)

                               so, +1250-1250=0

                 hence proved the answer is zero

Nice solution ;) , but its pretty long, compared to my solution

Roland Copino - 6 years, 4 months ago
Vikram Venkat
Jan 13, 2015

If you look at it carefully, you would notice that the series which gets -ve answers get a +ve answer respectively in the next series. Hence, they are nullified.

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