DISCUSSION

10. When you are first taught to add consecutive integers, no doubt you will start the
first one with x, right? In this case, your seven consecutive integers will be x, x+1, ...,
x+6. Adding them is quite a pain; how much more if instead of seven consecutive
integers, like in discussion in the Bible about the number of times you are supposed to
forgive, you are dealing with 77?
But why not:
Let x be the middle integer; the list will be x-3, x-2, x-1, x, x+1, x+2, x+3. Then you will
just have 7x=245 and you can deal with the rest easily. 77 will be a breeze as well; you
can get the middle, the beginning, and the end, but I doubt you'll forgive, even once,
anyone who would ask you to list all 77 of them.
11. You will undoubtedly do: x + x/4 + 90 = 180. However, in LET review sessions this
often puts discussion to a grinding halt because many have forgotten the rules of
engagement when fractions are involved. The way around would be just to use y and
4y, solve for y in y + 4y + 90 = 180, then just get the value of 4y. Do this if you dislike
fractions in supposedly easy questions like these, as I do.
Sometimes you can assign variables to numbers temporarily so that you can manipulate
them with ease.
12. Let x = 111,111,111. Then 1,000,000,005 = 9x + 6. Then you are asked for the square root
of x(9x + 6) + 1, or 9x^2 + 6x + 1, which is 3x + 1. Substitute the value of x back to get
3(111,111,111) + 1 = 333,333,334.

13. Let x = 1018 and y = 1000. Try it!

15. A typical chessboard is often colored; say, like 32 black squares and 32 white
squares in alternating fashion. The two squares removed are the same color, let's say
it's black, so 30 black squares and 32 white squares remain. Now let's say your domino
is composed of 1 black and 1 white square So when you pave a figure with dominoes
so that the colors are in alternating fashion, the number of white squares is equal to the
number of black squares. So, no; you can't pave the given figure with 2x1 rectangles or
dominoes.
Many invariance questions often involve parity or divisibility rules.
16. (2, 2, 2, 1) is composed of: 3 even and 1 odd. Regardless of what two numbers you choose,
the product will be even; if added to one of the others, its parity will not change. Therefore the
only reachable state is the initial state of 3 even and 1 odd; you cannot reach a state consisting
of 2 even and 2 odd.

17. The digital root of a number is the same as the remainder when the number is divided by 9,
except when the remainder is 0 in which case the digital root is 9. (The sum of the digits of the
number will have the same remainder as the number when divided by 9.) Therefore the desired
answer is the number of positive integers which, when divided by 9, yield a remainder of 1; from
1 to 2018, we have 1, 10, ..., 2017; there are 225 of them.

18. If you notice, the remainders when the current number of pebbles per basket are divided by
3 are: 1, 2, and 0. (This is unordered and will be so.) Any move as defined will retain these
remainders (try them now!) so this is the invariant. Now, if the pebbles end up in one basket, the
remainders will be 0, 0 and 0, which you can't reach because the only remainders you are
allowed to have are 1, 2, and 0.

22. To solve, let's begin with obtaining the roots of the given equation at first.
Since the equation is quadratic, let's use the Formula Method to obtain the roots of the given equation.
For a given quadratic equation of the form ax² + bx + c = 0, we have the roots of the equation given by
x = [ - b ± √(b² - 4ac)]/2a
For the equation 2x² + kx + 5 = 0, we have
a = 2, b = k and c = 5
Substitute for a, b and c in the formula above.
x = [-k ± √(k² - 4×2×5)]/2(2)
x = [-k ± √(k² - 40)]/4
Now the the roots of the equation are
[-k + √(k² - 40)]/4 and [-k - √(k² - 40)]/4
Since we are told that these roots differ by 2, then the difference between the roots is equal to 2.
Therefore, we have
[-k + √(k² - 40)]/4 - [-k - √(k² - 40)]/4 = 2
Take LCM
[(-k + √(k² - 40)) - (-k - √(k² - 40))]/4 = 2
Clear the bracket
[-k + √(k² - 40) + k + √(k² - 40)]/4 = 2
Combine like terms
[2√(k² - 40)]/4 = 2
2[√(k² - 40)]/4 = 2
[√(k² - 40)]/2 = 2
Multiply both sides by 2
√(k² - 40) = 2 × 2
√(k² - 40) = 4
Square both sides
[√(k² - 40)]² = 4²
k² - 40 = 16
k² = 16 + 40
k² = 56
k = √56
k = ±7.48
But k > 0 so that the value of k is positive. Therefore,
k = 7.48