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2002 AMC 10B Problem 6

Problem 6 of 25EasierAlgebraNumber Theory

For how many positive integers nn is n23n+2n^2 - 3n + 2 a prime number?

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Solution

Factor as n23n+2=(n1)(n2).n^2 - 3n + 2 = (n-1)(n-2). For n4,n \ge 4, both factors exceed 1,1, so the product is composite. For n=1n = 1 and n=2n = 2 the value is 0,0, and for n=3n = 3 the value is (2)(1)=2,(2)(1) = 2, which is prime. So exactly one value of nn works. Thus, the correct answer is B.

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Concepts: factoring · prime

Problem text and solution from the LIVE past-contest archive. See also the AoPS wiki page for community solutions.