document.write( "Question 1064992: Part (a): Find the sum a + (a + 1) + (a + 2) + ... + (a + n - 1) in terms of a and n.
\n" ); document.write( "Part (b): Find all pairs of positive integers (a,n) such that n greater than 2 and a + (a + 1) + (a + 2) + ... + (a + n - 1) = 100.
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Algebra.Com's Answer #680126 by math_helper(2461)\"\" \"About 
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Part (a):
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\n" ); document.write( "a + (a+1) + (a+2) + … + (a+n-1)
\n" ); document.write( "can be re-written:
\n" ); document.write( " (a+a+ … + a) + (1+2+ … + n-1)\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "There are n a's in the first parenthesis, and the 2nd parenthesis sums to \"+n%2A%28n-1%29+%2F+2+\" \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The sum S is: \"+highlight%28S+=+an+%2B+n%2A%28n-1%29%2F2%29+\"
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Part (b):
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\n" ); document.write( "\"+a%2An+%2B+n%2A%28n-1%29%2F2+=+100+\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"+2an+%2B+n%28n-1%29+=+200+\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"+2an+%2B+n%5E2+-+n+=+200+\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"++n%5E2+%2B+2an+-+n+=+200+\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"++n%28n+%2B+2a+-+1%29+=+200+\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "a and n are integers, and both are > 0\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "We only need to try factors less than or equal to \"+sqrt%28200%29+\" which is approx 14.14, an taking the floor of this value gives an max integer value of 14 to try.
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Factor 200 to see which factors we should try:
\n" ); document.write( "200 = 2*2*2*5*5
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\n" ); document.write( "We want to try all combinations of the factors given above, such that their product is <= 14.
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\n" ); document.write( "Try n=2: 2(2+2a-1) = 200 —> 1+2a = 198 (won't work because 2a = 197 —> a is a non-integer)
\n" ); document.write( "Try n=4: 4(4+2a-1) = 200 —> 3+2a = 196 —> 2a = 193 (no good, a is non-integer)
\n" ); document.write( "Try n=8: 8(8+2a-1) = 200 —> 7+2a = 25 —> 2a = 18 —> a=9
\n" ); document.write( " \"+highlight%28+a=9%29+\", \"+highlight%28n=8+%29\" satisfy the equality\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "n=5: 5(5+2a-1) = 200 —> 4+2a = 40 —> 2a = 36 —> a = 18
\n" ); document.write( " \"+highlight%28a=18%29+\" , \"+highlight%28n=5%29+\" satisfy the equality\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "n=10: 10(10+2a-1) = 200 —> 9+2a = 20 (no good, a is non-integer)\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "n=20: n is too large \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "I think that is it.
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