How many arithmetic progressions consisting of four integers with are there?
Solution
The answer is 1617. If is an arithmetic progression of four terms, then the common difference is also an integer and we have . On the other hand, the first term and the last term of an arithmetic progression of four terms completely determine the other terms as well. The number of arithmetic progressions sought is therefore in bijective correspondence with the pairs of numbers of the form contained in the set . Observing that and give the same remainder upon division by 3, we can distinguish 3 cases, according to whether this remainder is 1, 2, or 0:
- . The set consists of 34 elements, so there are pairs of this type.
- . The set consists of 33 elements, so there are pairs of this type.
- . The set consists of 33 elements, so there are pairs of this type.
In total, arithmetic progressions.
Second solution.
Denoting by the common difference of the arithmetic progression, we have and , so and . If is an arithmetic progression with common difference , we have and , that is ; therefore there are exactly arithmetic progressions with common difference . The total number of arithmetic progressions is therefore