Problem:
I'm thinking of two whole numbers. Their product is and their sum is . What is the larger number?
Answer Choices:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Solution:
Since their sum is to be , only positive factors need to be considered. Number pairs whose product is are , , and . The sum of the third pair is , so the numbers are and . The larger one is .
Answer: .
The problems on this page are the property of the MAA's American Mathematics Competitions