The volume of a rectangular prism is 21. Its length, width and height are all different positive integers. The sum of its length, width and height is
Problem 335
Official solution
Suppose that the length, width and height of the prism are the positive integers , and .
Since the volume of the prism is 21, then .
We note that each of , and is a positive divisor of 21.
The positive divisors of 21 are 1, 3, 7, and 21, and the only way to write 21 as a product of three different integers is .
Therefore, the length, width and height of the prism must be 1, 3, and 7, in some order.
The sum of these is .