Assignment 08

#$&*

course MTH 151

8:55pm, 2/18/14

If your solution to stated problem does not match the given solution, you should self-critique per instructions at

http://vhcc2.vhcc.edu/dsmith/geninfo/labrynth_created_fall_05/levl1_22/levl2_81/file3_259.htm

.

Your solution, attempt at solution. If you are unable to attempt a solution, give a phrase-by-phrase interpretation of the problem along with a statement of what you do or do not understand about it. This response should be given, based on the work you did in completing the assignment, before you look at the given solution.

008. Arithmetic Sequences

*********************************************

Question: `q001. There are 8 questions in this set.

See if you can figure out a strategy for quickly adding the numbers 1 + 2 + 3 + ... + 100, and give your result if you are successful. Don't spend more than a few minutes on your attempt.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

My quickest strategy would just be to add the numbers 1-10 and get their sum. Then, add the numbers 11-20, and get that sum. Then, add 21-30, get sum. Then, add 31-40, get sum. Then, add 41-50, get the sum. Add 51-60, get the sum. Add 61-70, get the sum. Add 71-80, get the sum. Add 81-90, get the sum. Add 91-100, get the sum. After finding the sum for each of these groups of numbers (55, 155, 255, 355, 455, 555, 655, 755, 855, and 955), I would add each of the sums together. (55 + 155 + 255 + 355 + 455 + 555 + 655 + 755 + 855 + 955 = 5050). Following this method and breaking down the numbers into sets eliminates the process of adding 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 and so on to 100 one at a time.

confidence rating #$&*: 3

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution:

These numbers can be paired as follows:

1 with 100,

2 with 99,

3 with 98, etc..

There are 100 number so there are clearly 50 pairs. Each pair adds up to the same thing, 101. So there are 50 pairs each adding up to 101. The resulting sum is therefore

total = 50 * 101 = 5050.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Self-critique (if necessary):

I’m not understanding how you got that each of the numbers would add up to 101, unless I missed that information. I just added each number, like 1 + 2 + 3…100. Were we supposed to add them to see if they all get the same sum, like 1 + 100 = 101, 2 + 99 = 101? This was a little confusing to me.

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique Rating: 3

@&

If you pair up the first number 1 and the last number 100, their total is 101.

If you pair up the second number 2 and the second-to-last number 99 their total is 101.

Continuing with this pattern you get 50 pairs of numbers, each of which totals 101.

*@

*********************************************

Question: `q002. See if you can use a similar strategy to add up the numbers 1 + 2 + ... + 2000.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

There would be 1000 pairs of numbers, because there are 2000 numbers total. My quickest strategy would be to figure out what number needs to be added to each number in the sequence to reach 2000. For example, 1 + 1999 = 2000, 2 + 1998 = 2000, 3 + 1997 = 2000, and so on until the pattern reaches 2000 + 0 = 2000.

confidence rating #$&*: 3

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution:

Pairing 1 with 2000, 2 with 1999, 3 with 1998, etc., and noting that there are 2000 numbers we see that there are 1000 pairs each adding up to 2001.

So the sum is 1000 * 2001 = 2,001,000.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Self-critique (if necessary):

I’m starting to understand more of how you are getting the pairs of numbers, but I did not go up to 2001. I stopped at 2000, so I guess that really is the only thing that I didn’t do according to how you solved the problem. I also didn’t figure out the sum, but understand that the number of pairs * the number of numbers = the sum, correct?

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique Rating: 3

@&

Using a pattern very similar to that of the preceding, you get 1000 pairs, starting with 1 and 2000 which add up to 2001.

*@

*********************************************

Question: `q003. See if you can devise a strategy to add up the numbers 1 + 2 + ... + 501.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

My strategy would be to just pair up each number in the sequence with a number that makes it equal to 501. For example 1 + 500 = 501, 2 + 499 = 501, 3 + 498 = 501, etc. There would be 250 pairs, and 500 numbers total, so 250 * 500 = 125,000 <- which is our sum.

confidence rating #$&*: 2

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution:

We can pair 1 with 501, 2 with 500, 3 with 499, etc., and each pair will have up to 502. However there are 501 numbers, so not all of the numbers can be paired. The number in the 'middle' will be left out.

However it is easy enough to figure out what that number is, since it has to be halfway between 1 and 501. The number must be the average of 1 and 501, or (1 + 501) / 2 = 502 / 2 = 251. Since the other 500 numbers are all paired, we have 250 pairs each adding up to 502, plus 251 left over in the middle.

The sum is 250 * 502 + 251 = 125,500 + 251 = 125,751.

Note that the 251 is half of 502, so it's half of a pair, and that we could therefore say that we effectively have 250 pairs and 1/2 pair, or 250.5 pairs.

250.5 is half of 501, so we can still calculate the number of pairs by dividing the total number of number, 501, by 2.

The total sum is then found by multiplying this number of pairs by the sum 502 of each pair:

250.5 * 502 = 125,766.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Self-critique (if necessary):

I think I am forgetting to go one step further, and go to 502. For example, I stopped at 501. Would this always be the requirements to follow when the number of elements is odd? My first instinct is to just to pair up each number (1 + 501 + 502, 2 + 500 = 502) and so on.

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique Rating:

*********************************************

Question: `q004. Use this strategy to add the numbers 1 + 2 + ... + 1533.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

I would start by adding 1 + 1533 = 1534, 2 + 1532 = 1534, and so on. There would be 766.5 pairs, because 766.5 * 2 = 1533. The sum is 766.5 * 1534 = 1,175, 811.

confidence rating #$&*: 3

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution:

Pairing the numbers, 1 with 1533, 2 with 1532, etc., we get pairs which each adult to 1534. There are 1533 numbers so there are 1533 / 2 = 766.5 pairs. We thus have a total of 1534 * 766.5, whatever that multiplies out to (you've got a calculator, and I've only got my unreliable head).

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Self-critique (if necessary):

I think I’m getting the hang of it now! I got the same answers you did as far as the number of pairs. I do see how these questions can be confusing, and do require a little extra thinking.

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique Rating: 3

*********************************************

Question: `q005. Use a similar strategy to add the numbers 55 + 56 + ... + 945.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

I would just add up the numbers according to how we have for the previous problems. Instead of beginning at 1, however, we’re beginning with 55, and in order to see the difference, have to subtract 55 from 945. 945 - 55 = 890, so 890 + 55 = 945, and 889 + 56 = 945, and so on. I am, however, a little confused on how to figure out the number of pairs. My guess would be because we subtracted 55 from 945, and got 890, that we’d divide 890 / 2 and get 445, meaning that there are 445 pairs. And this would mean that our sum would be 396,050, but I am not feeling too confident in my answers for the number of pairs or the sum.

confidence rating #$&*: 2

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution:

We can pair up 55 and 945, 56 and 944, etc., obtaining 1000 for each pair. There are 945 - 55 + 1 = 891 numbers in the sum (we have to add 1 because 945 - 55 = 890 tells us how many 1-unit 'jumps' there are between 55 and 945--from 55 to 56, from 56 to 57, etc.. The first 'jump' ends up at 56 and the last 'jump' ends up at 945, so every number except 55 is the end of one of the 890 'jumps'. But 55 is included in the numbers to be summed, so we have 890 + 1 = 891 numbers in the sum).

If we have 891 numbers in the sum, we have 891/2 = 445.5 pairs, each adding up to 1000.

So we have a total of 445.5 * 1000 = 445,500.

STUDENT COMMENT

I got very confused on this one. I don’t quite understand why you add a 1.

INSTRUCTOR RESPONSE

For example, how many numbers are there in the sum 5 + 6 + 7 + ... + 13 + 14 + 15?

15 - 5 = 10.

However there are 11 numbers in the sum (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15).

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Self-critique (if necessary):

I also was a bit confused on this one, but am hoping to get a better understanding of it after looking over this chapter again in the textbook.

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique Rating: 3

@&

Except for the fact that there are 445.5 pairs instead of 445, your reasoning is right on.

*@

*********************************************

Question: `q006. Devise a strategy to add the numbers 4 + 8 + 12 + 16 + ... + 900.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

Although this problem does confuse me a little at first, my first thought is to subtract 4 from 900, and get 896. So 4 + 896 = 900. My next step would be to subtract 8 from 900, so that 8 + 892 = 900. 888 + 12 = 900, 884 + 16 = 900, and so on. Because there are 900 numbers total, the number of pairs would be 450, and 450 * 900 = 405,000.

confidence rating #$&*: 3

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution:

Pairing 4 with 900, 8 with 896, etc., we get pairs adding up to 904. The difference between 4 and 900 is 896.

The numbers 'jump' by 4, so there are 896 / 4 = 224 'jumps'. None of these 'jumps' ends at the first number so there are 224 + 1 = 225 numbers.

Thus we have 225 / 2 = 112.5 pairs each adding up to 904, and our total is 112.5 * 904.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Self-critique (if necessary):

I’m having trouble understanding the ‘jumps’, and how they’re affecting the answers. I’m confused as to what you meant by “None of these ‘jumps’ ends at the first number so there are 225 numbers”?

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique Rating: 3

@&

The numbers 4, 8, 12, etc. each 'jump' by 4 units. If you start at 8, for example, and 'jump' 4 units you get to 12. If you then 'jump' 4 more units you get to 16. etc.

*@

*********************************************

Question: `q007. What expression would stand for the sum 1 + 2 + 3 + ... + n, where n is some whole number?

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

Depending on which whole number n is, I would take n - 1, n - 2, etc. like we have done in the previous questions in order to figure out the differences.

confidence rating #$&*: 2

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution:

We can pair 1 and n, 2 and n-1, 3 and n-2, etc., in each case obtaining a sum of n + 1. There are n numbers so there are n/2 pairs, each totaling n + 1. Thus the total is n/2 * (n+1).

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Self-critique (if necessary):

This question was very confusing to me. Why wouldn’t you just take n, and say n - 1, n - 2, etc. like we have in the previous problems? I also don’t understand how you got n/2 * (n+1).

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique Rating: 3

@&

The first and last numbers are 1 and n, and they total n + 1.

The second and next-to last numbers are 2 and n - 1, and their total is n-1 + 2 = n + 1.

Continuing in this fashion, you get pairs that each add up to n + 1.

There being n numbers, there are n / 2 pairs.

*@

*********************************************

Question: `q008. What are the following two sums?

• 50 + 51 + 52 + ... + 998 + 999 + 1000

• 3 + 6 + 9 + ... + 300

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

For the first problem, there are 1000 numbers, so there would be 500 pairs. 500 * 1000 = 500,000 <- sum.

@&

For 1 + ... + 1000 there would be 500 pairs, each adding up to 1001, not 1000.

For 50 + ... + 1000 you would get pairs adding up to 1050, and since there are fewer than 1000 numbers there would be there would be fewer than 500 pairs.

*@

For the second problem, there are 300 numbers, so there would be 150 pairs. 300 * 150 = 45,000 <- sum.

@&

1 + 2 + ... + 299 + 300 would give you 300 numbers and 150 pairs.

3 + 6 + ... + 297 + 300 doesn't include all the numbers from 1 to 300, so there are not 300 numbers, and not 150 pairs.

*@

confidence rating #$&*:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique Rating: OK

&#This looks good. See my notes. Let me know if you have any questions. &#