1990 AIME Problem 11

Attempt Problem 11 of the 1990 AIME below, then check your answer against the professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 1990 AIME solutions, or check the answer key.

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11.

Someone observed that 6!=8⋅9⋅10.6!=8\cdot9\cdot10. Find the largest positive integer nn for which n!n! can be expressed as the product of n−3n-3 consecutive positive integers.
Answer: 23
Concepts:factorialbounding to limit casesinequality
Small hint:
Compare n!n! with products of n−3n-3 consecutive integers beginning at 44 and at 55
Big hint:
The product beginning at 55 equals (n+1)!4!\frac{(n+1)!}{4!}
Solution:
The n−3n-3 consecutive integers beginning at 44 have product 4⋅5⋯n=n!6,4\cdot5\cdots n=\frac{n!}{6}, while those beginning at 55 have product 5⋅6⋯(n+1)=(n+1)!24=n+124n!.\begin{aligned}5\cdot6\cdots(n+1)&=\frac{(n+1)!}{24}\\&=\frac{n+1}{24}n!.\end{aligned} For n=23,n=23, the latter product equals n!,n!, so 2323 works. For every n≥24,n\geq24, the product beginning at 44 is below n!,n!, the product beginning at 55 is above n!,n!, and the product strictly increases with its initial term. Hence no n≥24n\geq24 works, and the largest possible value is 23.23.
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