Triple Whirlwind


  1. Show that $n(n + 1)(n + 2)$ is divisible by $6$.
  2. Show that $1^{2015} + 2^{2015} + 3^{2015} + 4^{2015} + 5^{2015} + 6^{2015}$ is divisible by $7$.


Source: BdMO 2016 National Secondary P1


Proof Based Problems  


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Solution

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1.

We can just check all values of $n\pmod 6$:

$n$ $n(n+1)(n+2)$
00
16
224
360
4120
5210


Clearly, all the values of the second column are divisible by $6$. Thus $6\mid n(n+1)(n+2)$.


2. 

Note that \begin{align*} & 1^{2015} + 2^{2015} + 3^{2015} + 4^{2015} + 5^{2015} + 6^{2015} \\  \equiv \ & 1^{2015}+2^{2015}+3^{2015} + (-3)^{2015}+(-2)^{2015}+(-1)^{2015} \\  \equiv \ & 0\pmod 7\end{align*} Thus we are done.

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