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Algebra Difficulty 3.6 AMC 10/12 Find the answer

There is a positive integer nn such that (n+1)!+(n+2)!=n!440(n+1)! + (n+2)! = n! \cdot 440. What is the sum of the digits of nn?

Pick one

Solution

Solution 1
(n+1)n!+(n+2)(n+1)n!=440n! n![n+1+(n+2)(n+1)]=440n! n+1+n2+3n+2=440 n2+4n437=0\begin{split}& (n+1)n! + (n+2)(n+1)n! = 440 \cdot n! \\ \Rightarrow \ &n![n+1 + (n+2)(n+1)] = 440 \cdot n! \\ \Rightarrow \ &n + 1 + n^2 + 3n + 2 = 440 \\ \Rightarrow \ &n^2 + 4n - 437 = 0\end{split}
Solving by the quadratic formula, n=4±16+43742=4±422=382=19n = \frac{-4\pm \sqrt{16+437\cdot4}}{2} = \frac{-4\pm 42}{2} = \frac{38}{2} = 19 (since clearly n0n \geq 0). The answer is therefore 1+9=(C) 101 + 9 = \boxed{\textbf{(C) }10}.

Solution 2
Dividing both sides by n!n! gives
(n+1)+(n+2)(n+1)=440n2+4n437=0(n19)(n+23)=0.(n+1)+(n+2)(n+1)=440 \Rightarrow n^2+4n-437=0 \Rightarrow (n-19)(n+23)=0.
Since nn is non-negative, n=19n=19. The answer is 1+9=(C) 101 + 9 = \boxed{\textbf{(C) }10}.

Solution 3
Dividing both sides by n!n! as before gives (n+1)+(n+1)(n+2)=440(n+1)+(n+1)(n+2)=440. Now factor out (n+1)(n+1), giving (n+1)(n+3)=440(n+1)(n+3)=440. By considering the prime factorization of 440440, a bit of experimentation gives us n+1=20n+1=20 and n+3=22n+3=22, so n=19n=19, so the answer is 1+9=(C) 101 + 9 = \boxed{\textbf{(C) }10}.

Solution 4
Since (n+1)!+(n+2)!=(n+1)n!+(n+2)(n+1)n!=440n!(n+1)! + (n+2)! = (n+1)n! + (n+2)(n+1)n! = 440 \cdot n!, the result can be factored into (n+1)(n+3)n!=440n!(n+1)(n+3)n!=440 \cdot n! and divided by n!n! on both sides to get (n+1)(n+3)=440(n+1)(n+3)=440. From there, it is easier to complete the square with the quadratic (n+1)(n+3)=n2+4n+3(n+1)(n+3) = n^2 + 4n + 3, so n2+4n+4=441(n+2)2=441n^2+4n+4=441 \Rightarrow (n+2)^2=441. Solving for nn results in n=19,23n=19,-23, and since n>0n>0, n=19n=19 and the answer is 1+9=(C) 101 + 9 = \boxed{\textbf{(C) }10}.
~Randomlygenerated

Solution 5
Rewrite (n+1)!+(n+2)!=440n!(n+1)! + (n+2)! = 440 \cdot n! as (n+1)n!+(n+2)(n+1)n!=440n!.(n+1)n! + (n+2)(n+1)n! = 440 \cdot n!. Factoring out the n!n! we get n!(n+1+(n+1)(n+2))=440n!.n!(n + 1 + (n+1)(n+2)) = 440 \cdot n!. Expand this to get n!(n2+4n+3)=440n!.n!(n^2 + 4n + 3) = 440 \cdot n!. Factor this and divide by n!n! to get (n+1)(n+3)=440.(n + 1)(n + 3) = 440. If we take the prime factorization of 440440 we see that it is 23511.2^3 * 5 * 11. Intuitively, we can find that n+1=20n + 1 = 20 and n+3=22.n + 3 = 22. Therefore, n=19.n = 19. Since the problem asks for the sum of the didgits of nn, we finally calculate 1+9=101 + 9 = 10 and get answer choice (C) 10\boxed{\textbf{(C) }10}.
~pnacham

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