1990 AIME Problem 11

Attempt Problem 11 of the 1990 AIME below, then check your answer against the professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 1990 AIME solutions, or check the answer key.

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11.

Someone observed that 6!=8910.6!=8\cdot9\cdot10. Find the largest positive integer nn for which n!n! can be expressed as the product of n3n-3 consecutive positive integers.

Answer: 23
Concepts:factorialbounding to limit casesinequality
Difficulty rating: 2230
Small Hint:

Compare n!n! with products of n3n-3 consecutive integers beginning at 44 and at 55

Big Hint:

The product beginning at 55 equals (n+1)!4!\frac{(n+1)!}{4!}

Solution:

The n3n-3 consecutive integers beginning at 44 have product 45n=n!6,4\cdot5\cdots n=\frac{n!}{6}, while those beginning at 55 have product 56(n+1)=(n+1)!24=n+124n!.\begin{aligned}5\cdot6\cdots(n+1)&=\frac{(n+1)!}{24}\\&=\frac{n+1}{24}n!.\end{aligned} For n=23,n=23, the latter product equals n!,n!, so 2323 works. For every n24,n\geq24, the product beginning at 44 is below n!,n!, the product beginning at 55 is above n!,n!, and the product strictly increases with its initial term. Hence no n24n\geq24 works, and the largest possible value is 23.23.

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