www.GMATFix.

com OG Companion 12th Problem Solving

#157, pg. 174

Difficulty Level: 600-700
Topics: Functions & Sequences

30 Seconds Hack

From 99 to 301, there are about 200 numbers, about 100 of which are even. The average of these evens (halfway between
99 and 301) is roughly 200.
sum
=
average
# of values
→ =
sum ( average )( # of values ) → sum ≈ ( 200 )(=
100 ) 20,000

Guess B

Solution A

The formula gives us a way to find the sum of the first n positive integers, but we’re asked to find the sum of even integers
between 99 and 301. Using the formula, we can find the sum of all integers from 100 to 300 by subtracting the sum the
sum from 1 to 99 from the sum from 1 to 300.

300 ⋅ 301
• Sum from 1 to 300: = 45,150
2
99 ⋅100
• Sum from 1 to 99: = 4,950
2
• The difference is the sum from 100 to 300: 45,150 − 4,950 =
40, 200 . This number encompasses both even
and odd integers. About half of this sum, or 20,100 is the sum of the evens in the range.

The correct answer is B

Solution B

If we can find the average as well as the number of values involved, we’ll be able to solve for the sum.
sum
=
average
# of values
→ =
sum ( average )( # of values )
A sequence in which there is a constant difference between adjacent values is an arithmetic sequence. Some examples
include:

• A set of consecutive integers: 12, 13, 14… Difference is 1

• A set of consecutive even integers: 2, 4, 6… Difference is 2
• A set of consecutive multiples of seven: 7, 14, 21… Difference is 7.

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 www.GMATFix.com OG Companion 12th Problem Solving
The average of an arithmetic sequence is the average of its highest and lowest values. In our case, we’re dealing with
consecutive even integers between 99 and 301. The lowest value is 100 and the highest is 200. The average of the
100 + 300
sequence is = 200 .
2

The sum of the=

sequence is sum ( average )( # of values
= ) → sum 200 ( # of values ) . To find the sum, all
we need now is the number of values. Because we are only interested in even integers, we can ignore 99 and 301. From
100 to 300, there are 300 − 100 + 1 =201 integers. There is 1 more even integer than odd integer in that list because it
begins and ends with an even. Therefore the number of values in the sequence is 101. the sum is
=sum 200 ( # of values ) =
→ sum 200 (101) = 20, 200

The correct answer is B

Take-Aways
• A set of numbers in which the difference between each value and the next higher value is constant is called an
arithmetic sequence.

• The average of an arithmetic sequence is the average of its highest and lowest values. The average is always
equal to the median of this sequence.

• The sum of an arithmetic sequence is its average multiplied by the number of numbers in the sequence

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