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The sum of two positive real numbers is 100. Find their maximum possible product?

+1 vote
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The sum of two positive real numbers is 100. Find their maximum possible product?
posted Sep 5, 2015 by anonymous

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3 Answers

+1 vote

If the numbers may be identical, 50 and 50 => product is 2500
If the numbers must be different, 49 and 51 => product is 2499

answer Sep 5, 2015 by Jcm
+1 vote

All the answers I'm seeing are very empirical and seem to be have been arrived at "by experience." Although they are right, the method isn't.

What the problem asks is to maximize x*(100-x). 100x - x2.
Maxima minima (if you can use that) tell us that the maxima is at x=50. Thus, the highest value is 2500.

Otherwise, if you are aware of parabola, you would know that the above expression is a functional representation of a (open-downwards) parabola and you can easily find that the apex exists at x=50. Thus, maximum value is, again, at 2500.

answer Nov 11, 2016 by Subhomoy Bakshi
Correct:
d(100x-x^2)/dx=0
x=50
0 votes

100=1+99
=2+98
=3+97
.
.
.
.
.
. =50+50
if we done multiplication we get maximum for 50*50
so answer is

2500

answer Sep 7, 2015 by anonymous



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0 votes

Two natural numbers have a sum of less than 100 and are greater than one.

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The following conversation takes place between them:
John: ‘I am not aware of those numbers.’
Jacob: ‘I knew you wouldn’t be. I am not aware myself.’
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Jacob: ‘Now I know them, too!’

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