Two sums, each consisting of $n$ addends , are shown below: $S = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ...$ $T = 100 + 98 + 96 + 94 +...$ . For what value of $n$ is it true that $S = T$ ?
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Tags: algebra
DouDragon
24.10.2022 22:21
Since these arithmetic series have the same number of addends, we want their averages to be the same. For any given $n,$ the last addend of $S$ is $n$ and the last addend in $T$ is $102-2n.$ So, the average of the addends in $S$ is $\frac{n+1}2$ and the average of the addends in $T$ is $\frac{100 + (102 - 2n)}2=101-n.$ We easily solve the resulting linear equation: \begin{align*} \frac{n+1}2 &= 101-n \\ \frac{3n+1}2 &= 101 = \frac{202}2 \\ \frac{3n}2 &= \frac{201}2 \\ n &= \boxed{67}. \end{align*}
f6700417
25.10.2022 09:14
$S=\frac{n(n+1)}{2}$, $T=101n-n^2$. Let $S=T$, we have $n=67$.
Pi-rate_91
25.10.2022 19:31
parmenides51 wrote: Two sums, each consisting of $n$ addends , are shown below: $S = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ...$ $T = 100 + 98 + 96 + 94 +...$ . For what value of $n$ is it true that $S = T$ ? 67