1996 AJHSME Problems/Problem 6
Problem
What is the smallest result that can be obtained from the following process?
- Choose three different numbers from the set .
- Add two of these numbers.
- Multiply their sum by the third number.
Solution
Since we want the smallest possible result, and we are only adding and multiplying positive numbers over , we can "prune" the set to the three smallest numbers . Using bigger numbers will create bigger sums and bigger products.
From there, compute the ways you can do the two operations:
The smallest number is 36, giving an answer of
See also
1996 AJHSME (Problems • Answer Key • Resources) | ||
Preceded by Problem 5 |
Followed by Problem 7 | |
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