SOLUTION: The interior angles of a convex nonagon have degree measures that are integers in arithmetic sequence. What is the smallest angle possible in this nonagon?

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Question 1150799: The interior angles of a convex nonagon have degree measures that are integers in arithmetic sequence. What is the smallest angle possible in this nonagon?
Answer by ikleyn(52781) About Me  (Show Source):
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From one side, the sum of interior angles of any 9-gon is  (9-2)*180 = 7*180 degrees.


From the other side, the sum of the first n terms of any arithmetic progression is


    S%5Bn%5D = %28%28a%5B1%5D%2Ba%5Bn%5D%29%2F2%29%2An.


In our case,  %28%28a%5B1%5D%2Ba%5B9%5D%29%2F2%29%2A9 = 7*180,  so


    %28a%5B1%5D%2Ba%5B9%5D%29%2F2 = 140  degrees.


For arithmetic progression, the average of any two terms, equally remoted from the central term, is the same.


In particular, the central term  a%5B5%5D is 140 degrees.


The terms of the AP are


    a%5B4%5D = 140 -  d,   a%5B6%5D = 140 +  d,

    a%5B3%5D = 140 - 2d,   a%5B7%5D = 140 + 2d,

    a%5B2%5D = 140 - 3d,   a%5B8%5D = 140 + 3d,

    a%5B1%5D = 140 - 4d,   a%5B9%5D = 140 + 4d.


To make a%5B1%5D as small as possible, we should take the common difference as large as possible.


We have two constraints:  a%5B1%5D must be positive,  a%5B1%5D > 0,                                      (1)

and
                          a%5B9%5D must be less than 180 degrees;  so  a%5B9%5D  must be 176 degrees.    (2)


Of these two constraints, the constraint (2) is more cumbersome, and it gives

    d = 36/4 = 9 degrees.


Then both constraints (1) and (2) are satisfied.


Thus the minimum angle is  a%5B1%5D = 140 - 4*9 = 140 - 36 = 104 degrees.    ANSWER