2005 AMC 10B Problem 22

Attempt Problem 22 of the 2005 AMC 10B 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 2005 AMC 10B solutions, or check the answer key.

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22.

For how many positive integers nn less than or equal to 2424 is n!n! evenly divisible by 1+2+⋯+n?1 + 2 + \cdots + n?
88
1212
1616
1717
2121
Answer: C
Concepts:triangular numberfactorialdivisibilityprime
Small hint:
Use 1+2+⋯+n=n(n+1)21+2+\cdots+n=\dfrac{n(n+1)}{2} and simplify n!n(n+1)2\dfrac{n!}{\frac{n(n+1)}{2}}
Big hint:
The reduced fraction 2(n−1)!n+1\dfrac{2(n-1)!}{n+1} fails to be an integer exactly when n+1n+1 is an odd prime
Solution:
Since 1+2+⋯+n=n(n+1)2,1 + 2 + \cdots + n = \dfrac{n(n+1)}{2}, divisibility is equivalent to n!n(n+1)2=2(n−1)!n+1 \dfrac{n!}{\frac{n(n+1)}{2}} = \dfrac{2(n-1)!}{n+1} being an integer.
Put N=n+1.N=n+1. If NN is composite and not a square, it has two distinct proper factors whose product is N;N; both occur in (N−2)!=(n−1)!.(N-2)!=(n-1)!. If N=k2N=k^2 with k≥3,k\ge3, the factors kk and 2k2k occur in that factorial, so it contains a multiple of 2N.2N. The remaining composite case, N=4,N=4, also divides 2(N−2)!=4.2(N-2)!=4. Thus the fraction is an integer whenever NN is composite. If N=n+1N=n+1 is an odd prime, it divides neither (n−1)!(n-1)! nor 2,2, so the fraction is not an integer. The even prime N=2N=2 gives n=1,n=1, which works.
The odd primes at most 2525 are 3,3, 5,5, 7,7, 11,11, 13,13, 17,17, 19,19, 23,23, giving 88 failing values of n.n. Hence 24−8=1624 - 8 = 16 values work.
Thus, C is the correct answer.
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