If of the product of largest two elements of a positive integer set is not greater than the sum of other elements, what is the minimum possible value of the largest number in the set?
Pick one
Solution
1. Let the largest two elements in the set be and such that . For all other elements in the set, let be an element such that .
2. The sum of all other elements in the set is at most . This is because the sum of the first positive integers is .
3. According to the problem, of the product of the largest two elements is not greater than the sum of the other elements. Therefore, we have:
4. Simplify the inequality:
5. Multiply both sides by 38 to clear the fractions:
6. Divide both sides by (assuming ):
7. Solve for :
8. Since must be greater than , we have:
9. To find the minimum possible value of , we need to find the smallest integer such that:
10. Simplify the inequality:
11. Since must be an integer, the smallest possible value for is 7. However, we need to check if this value satisfies the original inequality.
12. If :
Since must be an integer and greater than , does not work.
13. Try :
Since must be an integer and greater than , does not work.
14. Try :
Since must be an integer and greater than , the smallest possible value for is 13.
Therefore, the minimum possible value of the largest number in the set is .
The final answer is .