What is the smallest positive integer for which is an integer?
The average of 3 and 11 is . The average of and is 11. What is the value of ?
Charlie is 30 years older than his daughter Bella. Charlie is also six times as old as Bella. Determine Charlie’s age.
, 2013
Solution
The expression is an integer whenever is a perfect square.
To find the smallest positive integer for which is a perfect square, we find the smallest perfect square larger than 113.
Since and , then this perfect square must be 121.
Therefore, or .
The average of 3 and 11 is . Thus .
Using this with the given information, we see that the average of 7 and is 11.
Therefore, or and so .
(Alternatively, we could note that since 7 is 4 less than 11 (the average), then must be 4 more than 11, so .)
Let be Charlie’s age in years and be Bella’s age in years.
From the first sentence, .
From the second sentence, .
Combining these, we obtain or , and so .
Since , then , and so Charlie’s age is 36.
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