document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1132438>Question 1132438</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> The sum of three numbers in Ap is 39 and the sum of their product is 2184.find the number </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #749495 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><B>greenestamps(13200)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=greenestamps><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=749495\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The statement of the problem is indeed faulty; but the other tutor who tried to answer the question revised the statement of the problem in a way that made a solution impossible (and the algebra involved in TRYING to solve the problem difficult).<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "A different correction to the statement of the problem gives a problem that is relatively easy to solve:<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The sum of three numbers in Ap is 39 and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=highlight%28cross%28the+sum+of%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"highlight%28cross%28the+sum+of%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > their product is 2184.find the number<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Given that the sum of three numbers in arithmetic progression is 39, the middle number is 13.  So the numbers are 13-x, 13, and 13+x.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "There are many ways to solve the problem from there.  Probably the easiest is to recognize that (13-x)(13)(13+x) is \"close\" to 13^3; and 13^3 = 2197.  That makes it highly likely that x=1; and indeed 12*13*14 = 2184. </SPAN>\n" );
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