The product of three consecutive numbers when divided by each of them in turn gives three quotients. The sum of these three quotients is equal to 74.

What are the numbers ?

a=x-1

b=x

c=x+1

abc/a+abc/b+abc/c

=bc+ac+ab

=x(x+1)+(x-1)(x+1)+x(x-1)

=x^2+x+x^2-1+x^2-x

=3x^2-1

3x^2-1=74

3x^2=75

x^2=25

x=+-5

(4,5,6),(-4,-5,-6)

Posted by The riddler on 2005-08-09 02:58:28