# Difference between revisions of "2001 AIME II Problems/Problem 5"

## Problem

A set of positive numbers has the triangle property if it has three distinct elements that are the lengths of the sides of a triangle whose area is positive. Consider sets $\{4, 5, 6, \ldots, n\}$ of consecutive positive integers, all of whose ten-element subsets have the triangle property. What is the largest possible value of $n$?

## Solution 1

Out of all ten-element subsets with distinct elements that do not possess the triangle property, we want to find the one with the smallest maximum element. Call this subset $\mathcal{S}$. Without loss of generality, consider any $a, b, c \,\in \mathcal{S}$ with $a < b < c$. $\,\mathcal{S}$ does not possess the triangle property, so $c \geq a + b$. We use this property to build up $\mathcal{S}$ from the smallest possible $a$ and $b$:

$$\mathcal{S} = \{\, 4,\, 5,\, 4+5, \,5+(4+5),\, \ldots\,\} = \{4, 5, 9, 14, 23, 37, 60, 97, 157, 254\}$$

$\mathcal{S}$ is the "smallest" ten-element subset without the triangle property, and since the set $\{4, 5, 6, \ldots, 253\}$ is the largest set of consecutive integers that does not contain this subset, it is also the largest set of consecutive integers in which all ten-element subsets possess the triangle property. Thus, our answer is $n = \fbox{253}$.

## Solution 2

I claim that the answer is $253$. We will show that no number greater than 253 works. Consider the subset${4, 5, 9, 14, 23, 37, 60, 97, 157, 254}$. This subset does not have the property. It is easy to see that any number less than or equal to $253$ works, and hence our answer is $253$