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k a May Highlights and 2025 AoPS Online Class Information
jlacosta   0
May 1, 2025
May is an exciting month! National MATHCOUNTS is the second week of May in Washington D.C. and our Founder, Richard Rusczyk will be presenting a seminar, Preparing Strong Math Students for College and Careers, on May 11th.

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[*]May 21st, 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET, Mathcamp 2025 Qualifying Quiz Part 2 Math Jam, Problems 5 and 6, Canada/USA Mathcamp staff will discuss solutions to Problems 5 and 6 of the 2025 Mathcamp Qualifying Quiz![/list]
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0 replies
jlacosta
May 1, 2025
0 replies
9 AMC 8 Scores
ChromeRaptor777   149
N 15 minutes ago by RupertStream
As far as I'm certain, I think all AMC8 scores are already out. Vote above.
149 replies
ChromeRaptor777
Apr 1, 2022
RupertStream
15 minutes ago
What's $(-1)^0?$
Vulch   8
N 17 minutes ago by RupertStream
What's $(-1)^0?$

(It may be a silly question,but still I want to know it's value)
8 replies
Vulch
Oct 26, 2024
RupertStream
17 minutes ago
MAP Goals
Antoinette14   25
N an hour ago by ImaadSiddiqui
What's yall's MAP goals for this spring?
Mine's a 300 (trying to beat my brother's record) but since I'm at a 285 rn, 290+ is more reasonable.
25 replies
Antoinette14
May 8, 2025
ImaadSiddiqui
an hour ago
9 How many squares do you have memorized
LXC007   14
N an hour ago by sadas123
How many squares have you memorized. I have 1-20
14 replies
LXC007
4 hours ago
sadas123
an hour ago
No more topics!
Tricky summation
arfekete   12
N Apr 3, 2025 by KevinKV01
If $\dots = 7$, what is the value of $1 + 2 + 3 + \dots + 100$?
12 replies
arfekete
Apr 2, 2025
KevinKV01
Apr 3, 2025
Tricky summation
G H J
G H BBookmark kLocked kLocked NReply
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arfekete
259 posts
#1 • 3 Y
Y by eg4334, aidan0626, lpieleanu
If $\dots = 7$, what is the value of $1 + 2 + 3 + \dots + 100$?
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nitride
576 posts
#2
Y by
w problem i cannot lie
113(do i even need to write a solution)
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GallopingUnicorn45
410 posts
#3
Y by
how is this even in middle school math category

$1 + 2 + 3 + ... + 100 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 7 + 100 = \boxed{113}$
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MathPerson12321
3786 posts
#4
Y by
GallopingUnicorn45 wrote:
how is this even in middle school math category

$1 + 2 + 3 + ... + 100 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 7 + 100 = \boxed{113}$

There's no elementary math school category
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DhruvJha
893 posts
#5
Y by
MathPerson12321 wrote:
GallopingUnicorn45 wrote:
how is this even in middle school math category

$1 + 2 + 3 + ... + 100 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 7 + 100 = \boxed{113}$

There's no elementary math school category

I think there's a user created one
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Yiyj1
1266 posts
#6
Y by
DhruvJha wrote:
MathPerson12321 wrote:
GallopingUnicorn45 wrote:
how is this even in middle school math category

$1 + 2 + 3 + ... + 100 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 7 + 100 = \boxed{113}$

There's no elementary math school category

I think there's a user created one

never heard of it, doubt the op would know
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blueprimes
355 posts
#7 • 4 Y
Y by aidan0626, lpieleanu, arfekete, eg4334
GallopingUnicorn45 wrote:
how is this even in middle school math category

$1 + 2 + 3 + ... + 100 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 7 + 100 = \boxed{113}$

Clearly sir, you are deeply mistaken.

Solved with resources, greendivisors, eg4334, lpieleanu, SigmaPiE, Arcticturn, and CoolJupiter.

Here, having several continguous characters as a variable name is absurd! A clear counterexample is in programming, a variable name is invalid if it contains spaces. Thus, the only reasonable explanation is a multiplication using the $\cdot$ symbol standard. We want to solve:
\[ \cdot \cdot \cdot = 7. \]But this is just $\cdot^2 = 7 \implies \cdot = \sqrt{7}$. Since we are in Middle School Math, we will not consider the case of $\cdot = -\sqrt{7}$ as surely outrage will spark. Now if you are not experienced in the dark arts, a feeble-minded individual would simply plug in $\dots = 7$ and sum it up. How absurd! Instead, we explore the more reasonable path of multiplying the "normal" sum of $5050$ by $\sqrt{7}$, as every unit in the sum is replaced by the embedded $\cdots$ within the sequence, clearly the intended path of the creator.

Now suppose it is thousands of years ago and we do not have a calculator. We instead use the approximation $\sqrt{7} \approx 2.64575131106$ written by Euclid himself on a humble rock. Multiplying with our fingers, we obtain
\[ 5050 \cdot \sqrt{7} \approx 13361.0441209. \]Since $5050$ has $3$ significant figures, we round our answer accordingly to scientific procedure to obtain $\boxed{1.34 \times 10^4}$.
This post has been edited 2 times. Last edited by blueprimes, Apr 2, 2025, 2:37 AM
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Yiyj1
1266 posts
#8
Y by
blueprimes wrote:
GallopingUnicorn45 wrote:
how is this even in middle school math category

$1 + 2 + 3 + ... + 100 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 7 + 100 = \boxed{113}$

Clearly sir, you are deeply mistaken.

Solved with resources, greendivisors, eg4334, lpieleanu, SigmaPiE, Arcticturn, and CoolJupiter.

Here, having several continguous characters as a variable name is absurd! A clear counterexample is in programming, a variable name is invalid if it contains spaces. Thus, the only reasonable explanation is a multiplication using the $\cdot$ symbol standard. We want to solve:
\[ \cdot \cdot \cdot = 7. \]But this is just $\cdot^2 = 7 \implies \cdot = \sqrt{7}$. Since we are in Middle School Math, we will not consider the case of $\cdot = -\sqrt{7}$ as surely outrage will spark. Now if you are not experienced in the dark arts, a feeble-minded individual would simply plug in $\dots = 7$ and sum it up. How absurd! Instead, we explore the more reasonable path of multiplying the "normal" sum of $5050$ by $\sqrt{7}$, as every unit in the sum is replaced by the embedded $\cdots$ within the sequence, clearly the intended path of the creator.

Now suppose it is thousands of years ago and we do not have a calculator. We instead use the approximation $\sqrt{7} \approx 2.64575131106$ written by Euclid himself on a humble rock. Multiplying with our fingers, we obtain
\[ 5050 \cdot \sqrt{7} \approx 13361.0441209. \]Since $5050$ has $3$ significant figures, we round our answer accordingly to scientific procedure to obtain $\boxed{1.34 \times 10^4}$.

wait why am i able to edit ur post
Z K Y
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Yrock
1294 posts
#9
Y by
#8 nah don't mind it it won't work its just a weird glitch
Z K Y
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Yiyj1
1266 posts
#10
Y by
Yrock wrote:
#8 nah don't mind it it won't work its just a weird glitch

oh aight chat

edit: one more post away from 1200!
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by Yiyj1, Apr 2, 2025, 2:43 AM
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arfekete
259 posts
#11 • 1 Y
Y by Amkan2022
blueprimes wrote:
GallopingUnicorn45 wrote:
how is this even in middle school math category

$1 + 2 + 3 + ... + 100 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 7 + 100 = \boxed{113}$

Clearly sir, you are deeply mistaken.

Solved with resources, greendivisors, eg4334, lpieleanu, SigmaPiE, Arcticturn, and CoolJupiter.

Here, having several continguous characters as a variable name is absurd! A clear counterexample is in programming, a variable name is invalid if it contains spaces. Thus, the only reasonable explanation is a multiplication using the $\cdot$ symbol standard. We want to solve:
\[ \cdot \cdot \cdot = 7. \]But this is just $\cdot^2 = 7 \implies \cdot = \sqrt{7}$. Since we are in Middle School Math, we will not consider the case of $\cdot = -\sqrt{7}$ as surely outrage will spark. Now if you are not experienced in the dark arts, a feeble-minded individual would simply plug in $\dots = 7$ and sum it up. How absurd! Instead, we explore the more reasonable path of multiplying the "normal" sum of $5050$ by $\sqrt{7}$, as every unit in the sum is replaced by the embedded $\cdots$ within the sequence, clearly the intended path of the creator.

Now suppose it is thousands of years ago and we do not have a calculator. We instead use the approximation $\sqrt{7} \approx 2.64575131106$ written by Euclid himself on a humble rock. Multiplying with our fingers, we obtain
\[ 5050 \cdot \sqrt{7} \approx 13361.0441209. \]Since $5050$ has $3$ significant figures, we round our answer accordingly to scientific procedure to obtain $\boxed{1.34 \times 10^4}$.

Best solution so far but this makes a slight assumption which seems trivial but is actually incorrect. However, this would probably still get partials.

Intended sol (according to some moppers): Click to reveal hidden text

Remark: I don't know how it would be expected in contest for anyone to actually be able to evaluate $1 + 2 + 3 + 100$ within a reasonable timing even after finding the (already hard) cruxes of considering $G$ and finding $\cdot = \sqrt{7}$, so this problem is probably best just to be posted here for us to speculate and not used within a timed contest.
This post has been edited 6 times. Last edited by arfekete, Apr 2, 2025, 2:53 AM
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fruitmonster97
2498 posts
#12
Y by
ithinkaboveiswrong?

For clarity, we will write any " " in our math as "space". Then space$\cdot$space$\cdot$space$\cdot$space$=7,$ so space=$\sqrt[4]{7}.$

We aim to compute space$1$space$+$space$2$space$+$space$3$space$+$space$\cdot$space$\cdot$space$\cdot$space$+$space$100.$ This is simply:
\[\sqrt[4]{7}1\sqrt[4]{7}+\sqrt[4]{7}2\sqrt[4]{7}+\sqrt[4]{7}3\sqrt[4]{7}+\sqrt[4]{7}\cdot\sqrt[4]{7}\cdot\sqrt[4]{7}\cdot\sqrt[4]{7}+\sqrt[4]{7}100=\sqrt[4]{71}\sqrt[4]{7}+\sqrt[4]{72}\sqrt[4]{7}+\sqrt[4]{73}\sqrt[4]{7}+\sqrt[4]{7+\sqrt[4]{7+\sqrt[4]{7+\sqrt[4]{7}}}}+\sqrt[4]{7100}.\]We will now estimate to the nearest integer, because every number in the problem is an integer. we have 1.6^4=6.5536<7 but 1.7^4=8.3521 so $\sqrt[4]{7}\approx1.61.$ Similarly, $\sqrt[4]{71}\sqrt[4]{72}\sqrt[4]{73}\approx3\sqrt[4]{72}\approx8.7.$ Thus, the first part is $8.7\cdot1.61\approx14.$

for the second part, finitely many nested roots bad. infinitely many better. assume infinitely many. let it be $x.$ then $x=\sqrt[4]{7+x},$ so $x^4=x+7.$ Now, use newton's method on $f(x)=x^4-x-7.$ Guess $x_0=2.$ Then $x_1=x_0-\tfrac{f(x_0)}{f'(x_0)}=2-\tfrac{7}{31}=\tfrac{55}{31}.$ Close enough.

Finally, $\sqrt[4]{7100}\approx\sqrt[4]{6561}=9.$ Our sum is $14+9+\tfrac{55}{31}\approx\boxed{25},$ which fittingly enough is the last two digits of the year. Also, the sum of the first two parts and the last part are, when rounded, are the two squares that when combined with the three in the date, make the first five squares, which is a beautiful easter egg in memorium for easter being in (last two digits of year)-(month number) days. $\blacksquare$
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KevinKV01
14 posts
#17
Y by
In the sum at the ... there are not present all the missing numbers?
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N Quick Reply
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