prmo 2013 question 18

Question: What is the the maximum possible value of k for which 2013 can be written as sum of k consecutive positive integers?

Solution:
Suppose that we start with some aNa \in \mathbb{N}.

Then we want that
a+(a+1)++(a+(k1))=2013.a + (a+1) + \ldots + (a+(k-1)) = 2013.

Rewriting it as the sum of arithmetic series we get

(2a+k1)k2=2013or(2a1+k)k=4026.\frac{(2a + k - 1)k}{2} = 2013 \quad \text{or} \quad (2a - 1 + k)k = 4026.

Note that 2a1+kk2a - 1 + k \geq k.
So k, (2a - 1 + k) are 2 factors of 4026 such that 'k' is the smaller factor.
We need to find all factor pairs of 4026 and take the biggest smaller factor.

Now we find factor pairs of 4026.

The factor pairs of 4026 are:

- (1, 4026)

- (2, 2013)

- (3, 1342)

- (6, 671)

- (11, 366)

- (22, 183)

- (33, 122)

- (61, 66)

The biggest smaller factor is 61.
Answer: 61.
2a - 1 + k = 66 = 2a + 60 => a = 3
Cross check that the A.P. starting from 3 and having 61 terms with common difference = 1 has the sum 2013.
Sum  = 61/2(6+ 60) = 61*33 = 2013
So correct.


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