For some integers and , the expression is equal to a quadratic expression in with a constant term of -12. Which of the following cannot be a value of ?
Solution
Expanding, . The constant term of this quadratic expression is , and so . Since and are integers, they are each divisors of -12 and thus of 12. Of the given possibilities, only 5 is not a divisor of 12, and so cannot equal 5.
Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track
puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.