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2016 AMC 10B Problem 18

Problem 18 of 25IntermediateAlgebraNumber Theory

In how many ways can 345345 be written as the sum of an increasing sequence of two or more consecutive positive integers?

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Solution

Suppose the sequence has length ss and first term xx. Then 345=s(x+s12),345=s\left(x+\frac{s-1}{2}\right), or s(2x+s1)=690.s(2x+s-1)=690. Thus ss must be a divisor of 690690, with x=690ss+12x=\frac{\frac{690}{s}-s+1}{2} a positive integer. Checking the possible divisor lengths gives s=2,3,5,6,10,15,23.s=2,3,5,6,10,15,23. These are the only lengths that keep xx positive and integral. Therefore there are 77 representations. Thus, the correct answer is E.

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Concepts: arithmetic sequence · factor counting

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