When asked what her math average was, a student coyly responded: "I've taken four tests to date and when I add the highest score with my lowest score and divide the result by the sum of my other two scores, I get a ratio of 1.4"

Assuming all scores are equally weighted and each grade is a real number between 0 and 100 inclusive, find four scores that produce the highest possible average (arithmetic mean), and show that a higher average is not possible.

(In reply to re(2): A and D don't matter by Steve Herman)

That's the flaw in your reasoning.  You have to use A and D to determine that the correct value for B and C collectively is 500/9 -- specifically, you have to assume A is 100 and D is not greater than either B or C.  So while it is correct to state that the assumptions given in the problem link the arithmetic mean directly to the sum of the two other scores, it is incorrect to assume that the other two scores are irrelevant to solving the problem.

Posted by AvalonXQ on 2007-01-07 02:18:25