The Basics: Twenty-Seven Problems

by Keone Hon

1 Problems
1. The measure of an angle is 3 times the measure of its complement. Find the measure
of the angle in degrees.
2. Three calculus books weigh as much as two geometry books. Seven geometry books
weigh as much as nine algebra books. Six trigonometry books weigh as much as eleven
calculus books. How many algebra books weigh as much as 21 trigonometry books?
3. Notice that the product of the digits of 124 is 8. For many other three-digit positive
integers is the product of the digits equal to 8?
4. Steven takes his favorite number and adds 7, multiplies the resulting number by 6,
squares the resulting number, and divides by 9. The final result of these operations is
16. Given that Steven’s favorite number is not 5, what is his favorite number?
5. Given that a, b, and c are all positive, and that ab = 21, ac = 18, and bc = 42, find
a + b + c.
x y
6. If = , find the value of 3y 4 − 3(xz)2 + 3.
4y 4z
7. Given the sequence 2, 4, 6, 10, 16, 26, . . . , find the 12th term.
8. Bill will be x years old in the year x2 . If Bill was born between 1900 and 2000, in what
year was he born?
9. Five fair coins are tossed. What is the probability that exactly two heads and three
tails turn up? Express your answer as a decimal.
10. Define a “strange number” to be a number where each digit (other than the leftmost
two) is equal to the sum of the two digits to the left. For instance, 11235 is a strange
number because 2 = 1 + 1, 3 = 1 + 2, and 5 = 2 + 3. How many four-digit strange
numbers are there?
11. Blues, Inc. sells jeans at the following prices: $15 per pair if you buy 1 − 10 pairs, $13
per pair if you buy 11 − 40 pairs, $10 if you buy 41 − 70 pairs, and $8 per pair if you
buy 71 or more pairs. For how many values of n is it cheaper to buy a number of pairs
greater than n than it is to buy exactly n pairs?
12. For what value of k will the equation x3 − 9x2 + kx have exactly two solutions?

1
13. In a group of 200 students, 170 are taking history, 190 are taking math, 160 are taking
english, and 135 are taking art. What is the minimum number of students that must
be taking all four of these classes?
√ √
14. Find the smallest value of x that satisfies x2 − 3x + x2 − 1 = 2.
15. At a cookie shop, four different kinds of cookies are sold: chocolate chip, macaroon,
peanut butter, and white chocolate. In how many different ways can a person choose
eight cookies? (Assume that the shop has an ample supply of each variety of cookie.)
q √ √ √
16. The number 8 − 2 15 can be expressed in the form x − y, where x and y are
positive integers. Find 2x + y.
17. Bob is throwing turtles at a dartboard with two regions. If he hits the smaller region,
he gets 15 points; if he hits the larger region, he gets 7 points. What is the largest score
that Bob cannot get?
18. A tennis tournament starts out with 140 players. Each game is played between two
players; at the end of the game, the winner advances and the loser is knocked out.
There are no ties. If the tournament has a minimum number of byes, how many games
must be played to determine a single winner?
19. How many positive integers less than or equal to 1000 are multiples of 2 or 3?
20. Find x2 + y 2 + z 2 if
x+y+z =3
2x − y + z = 5
3x + 2y − z = 16

21. Find the length of the longest median of a triangle with sides of length 4, 7, and 9.
1 1
22. If x + = 8, find the value of x4 + 4 .
x x
23. If the prime factorization of positive integer N is 24 · 39 · 11121 , then how many positive
integer factors does N have?
2 −4x+7 2 +2x+1
24. If 216x = 16x , what is x?
25. For certain integers n, n2 − 3n − 126 is a perfect square. What is the sum of all distinct
possible values of n?
26. The function f (x) is a cubic polynomial of the form ax3 + bx2 + cx + d. Given that
f (0) = 7, f (1) = 10, f (2) = 15, and f (3) = 28, find a + 2b + 3c + 4d.
27. Suppose that f (x) = 13 + 23 + . . . + x3 and g(x) = 1 + 2 + . . . + x. Compute the value
f (1) f (2) f (99)
of + + ...+ .
g(1) g(2) g(99)

2
2 Solutions
1. Problem: The measure of an angle is 3 times the measure of its complement. Find
the measure of the angle in degrees.

Solution: Let x equal the measure of the angle and y equal the measure of its comple-
ment. Since x and y are complementary, x + y = 90. Also, since the angle’s measure is
3 times that of its complement, x = 3y. Substituting 3y for x, we get 3y + y = 90, so
4y = 90 or y = 22.5. Finally, x = 3y = 3 · 22.5 = 67.5.
2. Problem: Three calculus books weigh as much as two geometry books. Seven geome-
try books weigh as much as nine algebra books. Six trigonometry books weigh as much
as eleven calculus books. How many algebra books weigh as much as 21 trigonometry
books?

Solution: Letting C represent the weight of each calculus book, G represent the weight
of each geometry book, A represent the weight of each algebra book, and T represent
the weight of each trigonometry book, we can turn the given statements into math
equations:

3C = 2G
7G = 9A
6T = 11C
Solving each equation for one variable or the other, we get:

2
C = ·G
3
9
G = ·A
7
6
C = ·T
11
Then, subsituting 97 A for G into the first equation, we get C = 23 · 79 A = 67 A. But we
6
also found that C = 11 T . Therefore 67 A = 11
6
T , from which it follows that 11A = 7T .
Multiplying both sides by 3 yields 33A = 21T , so 33 algebra books have the same
weight as 21 trigonometry books.
3. Problem: Notice that the product of the digits of 124 is 8. For many other three-digit
positive integers is the product of the digits equal to 8?

Solution: We look for triples of numbers that multiply to 8. The triples are:
(1, 1, 8) since 1 · 1 · 8 = 8

3
 (1, 2, 4) since 1 · 2 · 4 = 8
(2, 2, 2) since 2 · 2 · 2 = 8

There are 3 ways to arrange (1, 1, 8): 118, 181, 811.

There are 6 ways to arrange (1, 2, 4): 124, 142, 214, 241, 412, 421
There is only one way to arrange (2, 2, 2): 222

In all, there are 6 + 3 + 1 = 10 ways of arranging one of the three triples that multiply
to 8. Therefore there are 10 numbers with a product of digits equal to 8. But we were
asked for numbers other than 124; therefore, there are only 9 numbers with the desired
property.
4. Problem: Steven takes his favorite number and adds 7, multiplies the resulting number
by 6, squares the resulting number, and divides by 9. The final result of these opera-
tions is 16. Given that Steven’s favorite number is not 5, what is his favorite number?

Solution: Let x represent Steven’s favorite number. Then

[6(x + 7)]2
= 16.
9
2
[6(x + 7)] = 144
6(x + 7) = ±12
x + 7 = 2 or x + 7 = −2
x = 9 or x = 5. But we were told that x is not 5. Thus, x = 9.
5. Problem: Given that a, b, and c are all positive, and that ab = 21, ac = 18, and
bc = 42, find a + b + c.

c (ac) 18 6
Solution: Since ab = 21 and ac = 18, = = = . Multiplying the equations
b (ab) 21 7
c 6
= and bc = 42, we obtain c2 = 36, so c = ±6. But c is positive, so c = 6.
b 7
Substituting this into ac = 18, we get 6a = 18, so a = 3. Substituting c = 6 into
bc = 42, we get 6b = 42, so b = 7. Thus a + b + c = 3 + 7 + 6 = 16.
x y
6. Problem: If = , find the value of 3y 4 − 3(xz)2 + 3.
4y 4z
x y
Solution: Multiplying both sides of = by 4yz yields xz = y 2 .
4y 4z
Substituting y 2 in for xz, 3y 4 − 3(xz)2 + 3 becomes
3y 4 − 3(y 2 )2 + 3 = 3y 4 − 3y 4 + 3 = 3.
7. Problem: Given the sequence 2, 4, 6, 10, 16, 26, . . . , find the 12th term.

Solution: Notice that each term after the 3rd term is equal to the sum of the previous
two terms. Thus, the 7th term is 16 + 26 = 42, the 8th term is 26 + 42 = 68, the 9th

4
 term is 42+68 = 110, the 10th term is 68+110 = 178, the 11th term is 110+178 = 288,
and the 12th term is 178 + 288 = 466.
8. Problem: Bill will be x years old in the year x2 . If Bill was born between 1900 and
2000, in what year was he born?

Solution: Since Bill will be x years old in the year x2 , he was 0 (that is, he was born)
in the year x2 − x. We are given that 1900 < x2 − x < 2000. Trying a few values
of x, we find that when x = 44, x2 − x = 1892, when x = 45, x2 − x = 1980, when
x = 46, x2 − x = 2070, and so on. Since only when x = 45 is Bill’s birth year between
1900 and 2000, we conclude that x = 45, so his birth year was 1980.
9. Problem: Five fair coins are tossed. What is the probability that exactly two heads
and three tails turn up? Express your answer as a decimal.

Solution: If five heads are tossed, there are 25 = 32 outcomes. The number of out-
comes with 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 heads correspond to the 5th row of pascal’s triangle:
1, 5, 10, 10, 5, 1, respectively. That is, there is 1 way to get 0 heads, there are 5 ways to
get 1 head, there are 10 ways to get 2 heads, and so on. Since there are 10 ways to get
10 5
2 heads, the probability of getting exactly 2 heads is 32 = 16 .
10. Problem: Define a “strange number” to be a number where each digit (other than the
leftmost two) is equal to the sum of the two digits to the left. For instance, 11235 is
a strange number because 2 = 1 + 1, 3 = 1 + 2, and 5 = 2 + 3. How many four-digit
strange numbers are there?

Solution: Suppose the first two digits are (a) and (b). Then the third digit is (a + b)
and the fourth digit is (a + 2b). Clearly, the values of a and b determine the rest of the
number. So we only need to choose values for the first two numbers, then evaluate the
rest. For instance, if a = 1 and b = 0, then (a + b) = 1 and a + 2b) = 1; hence, 1011 is
a “strange number”. If a = 1 and b = 1, then (a + b) = 2 and (a + 2b) = 3; hence, 1123
is a “strange number”. Using the same process, we conclude that the following are all
“strange numbers”: 1011, 1123, 1235, 1347, 1459, 2022, 2135, 2246, 2358, 3033, 3145,
3257, 3369, 4044, 4156, 4268, 5055, 5167, 5279, 6066, 6178, 7077, 7189, 8088, 9099. In
all, there are 25 4-digit “strange numbers”.
11. Problem: Blues, Inc. sells jeans at the following prices: $15 per pair if you buy 1 − 10
pairs, $13 per pair if you buy 11 − 40 pairs, $10 if you buy 41 − 70 pairs, and $8 per pair
if you buy 71 or more pairs. For how many values of n is it cheaper to buy a number
of pairs greater than n than it is to buy exactly n pairs?

Solution:
1 pair costs $15
2 pairs costs $30
...

5
 9 pairs costs $135
10 pairs costs $150

But for 11 pairs, it only costs $13 per pair, so

11 pairs costs $143
12 pairs costs $156
...
31 pairs costs $403
32 pairs costs $416
...
40 pairs costs $520

But for 41 pairs, it only costs $10 per pair, so

41 pairs costs $410
...
56 pairs costs $560
57 pairs costs $570
...
70 pairs costs $700

For 71 pairs, it costs only $8 per pair, so

71 pairs costs $568
...
100 pairs costs $800

Clearly, it costs more to buy 10 pairs than it does for 11, so we have found 1 value for
n. Similarly, it costs more to buy 32, 33, . . . , 40 pairs than it does to buy 41, so we have
found 9 more values for n. Finally, it costs more to buy 57, 58, . . . , 70 pairs than it does
to buy 71, so we have found 14 more values for n. In all, there are 1 + 9 + 14 = 24
values of n.
12. Problem: For what value(s) of k will the equation x3 − 9x2 + kx have exactly two
solutions?

Solution: Factoring the x out of x3 − 9x2 + kx = 0, we obtain x(x2 − 9x + k) = 0

One solution is x = 0. So x2 − 9x + k = 0 must contribute one more solution. This will

only happen if x2 − 9x + k is a perfect square, or if one of the roots of x2 − 9x + k = 0
is also 0. In the latter case, one root will be 0 only if another x can be factored out,
which can only take place if k = 0. So one value of k is 0. The the former case, since a
perfect square is of the form a2 + 2ab + b2 , we have

6
 a2 = x2
2ab = −9x
b2 = k

Since a2 = x2 , x = a.
Substituting a = x into 2ab = −9x, we find that b = − 92 . k = b2 = 81
4
. In all, k = 0 or
81
4
13. Problem: In a group of 200 students, 170 are taking history, 190 are taking math, 160
are taking english, and 135 are taking art. What is the minimum number of students
that must be taking all four of these classes?

Solution: In the “worst-case scenario”, as many students as possible are taking three,
but not four, classes. Since 170 are taking history, 30 aren’t; since 190 are taking math,
10 aren’t; since 160 are taking english, 40 aren’t; and since 135 are taking art, 65 aren’t.
Thus, at most 30 + 10 + 40 + 65 = 145 aren’t taking exactly one class; in this case, the
other 200 − 145 = 55 must be taking all four classes.
√ √
14. Problem: Find the smallest value of x that satisfies x2 − 3x + x2 − 1 = 2.
√
Solution: Subtracting x2 − 1 from both sides, we get

√ √
x2 − 3x = 2 − x2 − 1
√ √
x2 − 3x = 4 − 4 x2 − 1 + ( x2 − 1)2
√
x2 − 3x = 4 − 4 x2 − 1 + x2 − 1
√
4 x2 − 1 = 3 + 3x
16(x2 − 1) = 9 + 18x + 9x2
16x2 − 16 = 9 + 18x + 9x2
7x2 − 18x − 25 = 0
7x2 + 7x − 25x − 25 = 0
7x(x + 1) − 25(x + 1) = 0
(7x − 25)(x + 1) = 0
x = 25/7 or − 1.
The smallest value is x = −1.
15. Problem: At a cookie shop, four different kinds of cookies are sold: chocolate chip,
macaroon, peanut butter, and white chocolate. In how many different ways can a person
choose eight cookies? (Assume that the shop has an ample supply of each variety of
cookie.)

7
 Solution: Imagine we have 8 sticks, and we’re going to put them in different piles
according to how many cookies of each type Pedro buys. The first pile corresponds to
the number of chocolate cookies, the second corresponds to the number of macaroons,
etc. So 3 cookies in the first pile, 0 in the second, 2 in the third, and 3 in the fourth
corresponds to 3 chocolate, 0 macaroon, 2 peanut butter, and 3 white chocolate. We
can express any set of cookies that Pedro buys in this fashion.
Now, suppose we separate the piles with dividers. We’ll need 3 dividers, since we need
to separate chocolate from macaroon, macaroon from peanut butter, and peanut butter
from white chocolate. Thus, the 3, 0, 2, 3 cookie example that we had before could be
expressed as:
∗ ∗ ∗|| ∗ ∗| ∗ ∗∗
Where each ∗ represents a cookie and each | represents a divider.
We have 11 objects (8 cookies and 3 dividers), and they can be arranged in any order;
each order corresponds to a different set of cookies. For example the order
||| ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
means that we have 8 white chocolate cookies, while the order
| ∗ ∗| ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗|
means that we have 0 chocolate, 2 macaroons, 6 peanut butter, and 0 white chocolate
cookies.
So all we need to do is find the number of ways to arrange the 11 objects, or alternatively,
the !number of ways to pick which 3 of the 11 objects will be the dividers. This is
11 11!
= = 165.
3 8!3!
q √ √ √
16. Problem: The number 8 − 2 15 can be expressed in the form x − y, where x
and y are positive integers. Find 2x + y.

Solution:
q √ q √
8 − 2 15 = 5 − 2 15 + 3
q √ √ √ √
= ( 5)2 − 2 5 3 + ( 3)2
q √ √
= ( 5 − 3)2
√ √
= 5 − 3.

So x = 5 and y = 3; 2x + y = 13.
17. Problem: Bob is throwing turtles at a dartboard with two regions. If he hits the
smaller region, he gets 15 points; if he hits the larger region, he gets 7 points. What is
the largest score that Bob cannot get?

8
 Solution 1: Bob can get the following scores: 7, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29, 30, 35, 36, 37,
42, 43, 44, 45, 49, 50, 51, 52, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75,
77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, . . .

After 84, all numbers are possible, so the last non-possible score is 83.

Solution 2: The numbers 7, 14, 21, 28, . . . are all achievable by getting a number of 7s.
We can get certain other numbers by substituting a 15 for two 7s, which will net one
more point (for exmaple, when we have 4 7s = 28, we can substitute two of those 7s for
a 15 to get 29, or we can substitute four of the 7s for 2 15s to get 30.) Thus, after the
number 14, we can net 1 point, after 28, we can net 2, after 42, we can net 3, and so
on. After 70, we can net 5, which means that we can get any number of points between
1 and 5 more than a multiple of 7. This includes all numbers except 76 and 83, which
are 6 more than a multiple of 7.

Then, after 84, we can net 6, which means that we can get any number of points between
1 and 6 more than a multiple of 7. But this includes all numbers, since any number is
either a multiple of 7 or 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 more than a multiple of 7. Thus after 84, we
can get all numbers. Thus the last non-possible score must be 83.

Solution 3: The answer may be obtained by using the following formula:

G = ab − a − b
where G is the greatest non-possible sum that can be achieved by adding multiples of
a and b, and a and b are relatively prime integers. In this case, since a = 15 and b = 7,
the greatest non-possible score is 15 · 7 − 15 − 7 = 83.
18. Problem: A tennis tournament starts out with 140 players. Each game is played be-
tween two players; at the end of the game, the winner advances and the loser is knocked
out. There are no ties. If the tournament has a minimum number of byes, how many
games must be played to determine a single winner?

Solution: Here is a case where the solution is shorter than the problem! Since we
started with 140 players, exactly 139 players must be eliminated to declare one winner.
But each game eliminates one player. Thus, 139 games must be played.
19. Problem: How many positive integers less than or equal to 1000 are multiples of 2 or 3?

Solution: First of all, how many positive integers less than or equal to 1000 are mul-
tiples of 2? The numbers are 2, 4, . . . 1000, that is, 500 numbers. Now, how many
positive integers less than or equal to 1000 are multiples of 3? The numbers 3, 6, . . . 999
are, that is, 333 numbers. So at first glance, it seems like there are 500 + 333 = 833
numbers. However, we’ve counted some numbers twice. For instance, 6 was counted in

9
 both the multiples-of-two and the multiples-of-three list. In fact, all multiples of both
2 and 3 - that is, multiples of 2 · 3 = 6 - have been counted twice. These numbers are
6, 12, 18, . . . 996, that is, 166 numbers. Since we’ve counted 166 numbers twice, we need
to subtract them off once to leave only one copy of them. 833 − 166 = 667 numbers.
20. Problem: Find x2 + y 2 + z 2 if

x+y+z =3 (1)
2x − y + z = 5 (2)
3x + 2y − z = 16 (3)

Solution:
Adding (1) and (2) together yields 3x + 2z = 8

Adding 2 · (2) and (3) together yields 7x + z = 26. Multiplying this by 2 yields
14x + 2z = 52.

So now we have

14x + 2z = 52 (4)
3x + 2z = 8 (5)

Subtracting (5) from (4) yields 11x = 44, so x = 4. Plugging this into 3x + 2z = 8, we
have 3 · 4 + 2z = 8, so 2z = −4, so z = −2. Finally, plugging these values of x and z
into x + y + z = 3 yields 4 + y + −2 = 3, so y = 1. Thus, x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 42 + 12 + (−2)2 =
16 + 1 + 4 = 21.
21. Problem: Find the length of the longest median of a triangle with sides of length 4,
7, and 9.

Solution: Let the triangle have vertices A, B, and C, with AB = 4, AC = 7, and

BC = 9. The longest median will be the median to the shortest side. Thus, we wish to
find the length of the line from C to the midpoint of AB, which we will call M. (Since
M is the midpoint of AB, AM = MB = 2.)

Now extend CM past point M to another point D so that DM = CM. Since

AM = BM and CM = DM, the diagonals of quadrilateral ACBD bisect each other.
This means that ACBD is a parallelogram. Since opposite sides of a parallelogram are
equal, BD = CA = 7 and AD = CB = 9.

Finally, we use the following property of a parallelogram: the sum of the squares of the
diagonals are equal to the sum of the squares of the four sides. In math terms, this
means that AB 2 + CD2 = AD 2 + DB 2 + BC 2 + CA2 . Plugging in the values that we

10
 know (AB = 4, AD = 9, DB = 7, BC = 9, CA = 7), we get the following equation:

42 + CD2
92 + 72 + 92 + 72 =
16 + CD2
260 =
CD2
244 =
√ √
CD 244 = 2 61 =
√ √
Since M is the midpoint of CD, CM = CD
2
= 1/2 · 2 61 = 61.
1 1
22. Problem: If x + = 8, find the value of x4 + 4 .
x x
1
Solution: Squaring both sides of the equation x + x
= 8 yields

 2
2 1 1
x +2·x· + = 64
x x
1
x2 + 2 + = 64
x2
1
x2 + 2 = 62
x
Squaring both sides of this equation yields
1 1 2
 
2 2 2
(x ) + 2 · x · 2 + 2 = 3844
x x
x4 + 2 + 1/x4 = 3844
x4 + 1/x4 = 3842

23. Problem: If the prime factorization of positive integer N is 24 · 39 · 11121 , then how
many positive integer factors does N have?
Solution: If a number has a prime factorization of aA · bB · cC · dD · · ·, then it has
(A + 1)(B + 1)(C + 1) . . . factors.
Since N has the factorization 24 ·39 ·11121 , it has (4+1)(9+1)(121+1) = 5·10·122 = 6100
factors.
2 −4x+7 2 +2x+1
24. Problem: If 216x = 16x , what is x?

Solution:
2 −4x+7 2 +2x+1
216x = (24 )x
2 2
216x −4x+7 = 24(x +2x+1)
2 2
216x −4x+7 = 24x +8x+4
16x2 − 4x + 7 = 4x2 + 8x + 4

11
 12x2 − 12x + 3 = 0
1
x2 − x + = 0
4
1 1
(x − )(x − ) = 0
2 2
1 2
(x − ) = 0
2
1
(x − ) = 0
2
1
x =
2
.
25. Problem: For certain integers n, n2 − 3n − 126 is a perfect square. What is the sum
of all distinct possible values of n?

Solution: Since n2 − 3n − 126 is a perfect square, we can say that n2 − 3n − 126 = k 2

for some integer k. Multiplying this equation by four, we get
4n2 − 12n − 504 = 4k 2

Replacing −504 with 9 − 513, since the two are equal, we get

(2n)2 − 12n + (9 − 513) = 4k 2

(2n)2 − 2(2n)(3) + 32 − 513 = 4k 2

The first three terms on the left side are of the form a2 − 2ab + b2 , where a = 2n and
b = 3. Remembering that a2 − 2ab + b2 = (a − b)2 , we get

(2n − 3)2 − 513 = 4k 2

(2n − 3)2 − 4k 2 − 513 = 0
(2n − 3)2 − (2k)2 = 513

Now, the left hand side is of the form a2 − b2 , which factors to (a + b)(a − b). Hence,
we can rewrite the equation as
(2n − 3 + 2k)(2n − 3 − 2k) = 513

n and k are both integers, so 2n − 3 + 2k and 2n − 3 − 2k are both integers as well. So

we just need to find pairs of integers whose product is 513.

513 = 33 ·19, so 513’s factors are 1, 3, 9, 19, 27, 57, 171, 513. Pairs of integers whose prod-
uct is 513 are (1, 513), (3, 171), (9, 57), (19, 27), (−1, −513), (−3, −171), (−9, −57), (−19, −27),

12
 and all ordered pairs with the two values switched around (for instance, (513, 1)).

Say we have a pair of positive integers (x, y) whose product is 513. Then
2n − 3 + 2k = x
and
2n − 3 − 2k = y

Adding these two equations together, we get

4n − 6 = x + y
4n = x + y + 6
x+y+6
n =
4

Now, we just substitute x and y for each ordered pair that we found above.

For (1,513), n = (1 + 513 + 6)/4 = 130

For (3,171), n = (3 + 171 + 6)/4 = 45
For (9,57), n = (9 + 57 + 6)/4 = 18
For (19,27), n = (19 + 27 + 6)/4 = 13
For (-1,-513), n = (−1 − 513 + 6)/4 = −127
For (-3, -171), n = (−3 − 171 + 6)/4 = −42
For (-9, -57), n = (−9 − 57 + 6)/4 = −15
For (-19, -27), n = (−19 − 27 + 6)/4 = −10

130 + 45 + 18 + 13 − 127 − 42 − 15 − 10 = 12. This is our answer.

26. Problem: The function f (x) is a cubic polynomial of the form ax3 + bx2 + cx + d.
Given that f (0) = 7, f (1) = 10, f (2) = 15, and f (3) = 28, find a + 2b + 3c + 4d.

Solution: Since f (0) = 7,

7 = a(0)3 + b(0)2 + c(0) + d

7 = d
Since f (1) = 10,
10 = a(1)3 + b(1)2 + c(1) + d
10 = a + b + c + 7
3 = a+b+c

13
 Since f (2) = 15,
15 = a(2)3 + b(2)2 + c(2) + d
15 = 8a + 4b + 2c + 7
8 = 8a + 4b + 2c
Since f (3) = 28,
28 = a(3)3 + b(3)2 + c(3) + d
28 = 27a + 9b + 3c + 7
21 = 27a + 9b + 3c
Now we have a system of equations:
a+b+c=3 (6)
8a + 4b + 2c = 8 (7)
27a + 9b + 3c = 21 (8)
Multiplying (6) by two and subtracting it from (7), we get 6a + 2b = 2, or b = 1 − 3a.
Multiplying (6) by three and subtracting it from (8), we get 24a + 6b = 12.

Substituting 1 − 3a for b, we get:

24a + 6(1 − 3a) = 12
24a + 6 − 18a = 12
6a = 6
a = 1

b = 1 − 3a = 1 − 3 · 1 = −2

a+b+c = 3
1 + −2 + c = 3
c = 4
So we have a = 1, b = −2, c = 4, and d = 7. So a + 2b + 3c + 4d = 37
27. Problem: Suppose that f (x) = 13 + 23 + . . . + x3 and g(x) = 1 + 2 + . . . + x. Compute
f (1) f (2) f (99)
the value of + + ...+ .
g(1) g(2) g(99)
Solution: Notice that
x(x + 1)
1 + 2 +...+ x =
2
x(x + 1)(2x + 1)
12 + 22 + . . . + x2 =
6
2 2
x (x + 1)
13 + 23 + . . . + x3 =
4

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 f (x) (x(x + 1)/2)2 x2 + x
So = = x(x + 1)/2 = .
g(x) x(x + 1)/2 2

f (1) f (2) f (99) 12 + 1 22 + 2 32 + 3 992 + 99

+ + ...+ = + + + ...+
g(1) g(2) g(99) 2 2 2 2
2 2 2 2
1 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 3 + . . . + 99 + 99
=
2
2 2 2
(1 + 2 + ... + 99 ) + (1 + 2 + ... + 99)
=
2
1 99(99 + 1)(2 · 99 + 1) 99(99 + 1)
= · +
2 6 2
328350 + 4950
=
2
= 166650.

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