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2006 AMC 12A Problem 8

Problem 8 of 25EasierAlgebra

How many sets of two or more consecutive positive integers have a sum of 15?15?

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Solution

The sum of nn consecutive integers equals nn times their median. For a sum of 15:15: n=2n = 2 gives 7+8,7 + 8, n=3n = 3 gives 4+5+6,4 + 5 + 6, and n=5n = 5 gives 1+2+3+4+5.1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5. A run of four consecutive integers sums to an even number, and more than five terms already exceed 1+2+3+4+5=15.1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15. So there are 33 sets. Thus, the correct answer is C.

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Concepts: arithmetic sequence · casework

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