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Mean Quest (Posted on 2006-12-10) Difficulty: 3 of 5
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.

  Submitted by Dennis    
Rating: 4.0000 (1 votes)
Solution: (Hide)
Three grades of 55+5/9 and one grade of 100 produce an average of 66+2/3.

Let a,b,c, and d be the grades with average v and 0<=a<=b<=c<=d<=100. Now 4v=a+b+c+d --> 4v/(b+c)=1+(a+d)/(b+c)=2.4 so

          b+c = 4v/2.4 (equation 1)

Since a+d+b+c=4v, a+d=4v-(b+c)=4v-4v/2.4=7v/3. So

          a+d = 7v/3 (equation 2)

Now d <= 100 --> 7v/3 - a <= 100 --> a >= 7v/3 - 100 and since b >= a, it follows that b >= 7v/3 - 100. So by equation 1, 4v/2.4 - c >= 7v/3 - 100. Solving this inequality for v yields

v <= 1.5(100-c) (inequality 1)

Assume there exist grades such that v > 66+2/3. Then 4v > 266+2/3 so 4v/2.4 > 111+1/9 so by equation 1, b+c > 111+1/9. Since c >= b it follows that c > 55+5/9 --> 100-c < 44+4/9 --> 1.5(100-c) < 66+2/3 so by inequality 1, v < 66+2/3 contradicting our assumption.

Comments: ( You must be logged in to post comments.)
  Subject Author Date
answerK Sengupta2008-12-30 03:47:49
re(3): A and D don't matterAvalonXQ2007-01-07 02:18:25
re(2): A and D don't matterSteve Herman2006-12-14 23:12:41
re: An off topic question about formattingCharlie2006-12-11 11:11:15
Questionre: A and D don't matterCharlie2006-12-11 09:34:36
A and D don't matterSteve Herman2006-12-11 09:08:37
re(4): Question.Bractals2006-12-10 13:31:08
Some ThoughtsSolution for Integer ScoresBractals2006-12-10 13:23:43
re(3): Question.tomarken2006-12-10 13:22:16
re(2): Question.Bractals2006-12-10 13:18:26
re: Question.John Reid2006-12-10 13:11:48
QuestionQuestion.Bractals2006-12-10 13:05:16
QuestionAn off topic question about formattingJohn Reid2006-12-10 12:47:57
re: SolutionJohn Reid2006-12-10 12:44:05
SolutionSolutiontomarken2006-12-10 11:42:30
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