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If a , b a,b and c c are positive integers that satisfy the equation 29 a + 30 b + 31 c = 366 29a+30b+31c=366 , find the sum of all distinct values of a + b + c a+b+c .


The answer is 12.

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2 solutions

Chris Galanis
Dec 1, 2015

It's easy to see that 1 a 12 1 \leq a \leq 12 since for a = 13 a = 13 the left side of the equation 29 a + 30 b + 31 c = 366 29a + 30b + 31c = 366 is greater than 366 366 . Using that reasoning we get that 1 b 12 1 \leq b \leq 12 and 1 c 11 1 \leq c \leq 11 . Then:

a [ 1 , 12 ] Z a = { 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 } b [ 1 , 12 ] Z b = { 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 } c [ 1 , 12 ] Z c = { 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 } a \in [1, 12] \subset \mathbb{Z} \Rightarrow a = \big\{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12\big\} \\ b \in [1, 12] \subset \mathbb{Z} \Rightarrow b = \big\{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12\big\} \\ c \in [1, 12] \subset \mathbb{Z} \Rightarrow c = \big\{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11\big\}

29 a + 30 b + 31 c = 366 30 a a + 30 b + 30 c + c = 366 30 ( a + b + c ) = 366 + a c a + b + c = 12 + 6 + a c 30 let a c = 30 k 6 a + b + c = 12 + k 29a + 30b + 31c = 366 \\ \Rightarrow 30a - a + 30b + 30c + c = 366 \\ \Rightarrow 30(a+b+c) = 366 +a -c \\ \Rightarrow a+b+c = 12 + \frac{6+a-c}{30} \\ \stackrel{\text{let } a-c = 30k - 6}{\Longrightarrow} a+b+c = 12 +k

Now we observe that k = 0 k = 0 since for either k 1 k \geq 1 or k 1 k \leq -1 there are none of the given values of a , c a, c that satisfy the equation a c = 30 k 6 a - c = 30k -6

Adithya Rajeev
Aug 28, 2015

Ummmm if you notice, 366 is the no. of days in a leap year, and 29, 30 and 31 are the corresponding no. of days in each month. Hence a+b+c is equal to the total no. of months i.e. 12!!!!!

You need to show that a+b+c=12 is the only solution.

I could have a=2,b=2,c=8 as well.

Pi Han Goh - 5 years, 9 months ago

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