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jmc

algebra senior

Problem

If and are positive integers such that , what is the greatest possible value of ?
Solution
We solve for in terms of : Then we express in terms of : The graph of this expression is a parabola facing downwards. The greatest possible value of occurs at the vertex of this parabola, which occurs when . Then, However, this is not an integer. So, we test the two closest integer values of : and , to see if either of these yield integer values for .

When , , which is not an integer. When , , which is an integer. In this case,
Final answer
165