Andrei represents 2025 as a sum of 40 pairwise different positive integers. Find the lowest value that the largest of the 40 numbers can achieve.
Solution
Let 0<a1<a2<a3<⋯<a40 so that a1+a2+a3+⋯+a40=2025. Then a2≥a1+1, a3≥a2+1, a4≥a3+1, …, a40≥a39+1. Consequently, a40≥a1+39≥a2+38≥⋯≥a38+2. Then 40⋅a40≥(a1+39)+(a2+38)+⋯+(a37+3)+(a38+2)+(a39+1)+a40, hence 40⋅a40≥2025+(1+2+⋯+39)=2805. Since a40 is a positive integer, it follows that a40≥71. The value a40=71 can be achieved: 1+29+34+35+36+⋯+70+71=2025, therefore the required minimum is 71.
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.
Source: MathNet,
licensed CC-BY-4.0.
Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.