# Have no clue How to do this. neither does dad xD

• Oct 29th 2008, 06:10 PM
xsriel
Have no clue How to do this. neither does dad xD
The median of a set of consecutive odd intergers is 138. If the greatest integer in the set is 145 what is the smallest integer in the set?

I DONT KNOW :O
• Oct 29th 2008, 06:16 PM
goomage13
131 perhaps start with 131 go to 145. 138 is the median. i could be wrong, but i think that's right
• Oct 29th 2008, 06:18 PM
xsriel
yeah but what does consecutive mean?
• Oct 29th 2008, 06:20 PM
xsriel
Quote:

Originally Posted by xsriel
yeah but what does consecutive mean?

thats what was throwing me off xD ok yeah its rite thnlxs :D
• Oct 29th 2008, 06:22 PM
Mathstud28
Quote:

Originally Posted by xsriel
The median of a set of consecutive odd intergers is 138. If the greatest integer in the set is 145 what is the smallest integer in the set?

I DONT KNOW :O

Consider this...we need a set $\left\{a_1,a_2,\cdots,145\right\}$

Now for the median to 138 we need there to be an even amount of elements the middle two being 139 and 137 so it should be pretty obvious the set is

$\left\{129,\cdots,145\right\}$
• Oct 29th 2008, 06:23 PM
Mathstud28
Quote:

Originally Posted by goomage13
131 perhaps start with 131 go to 145. 138 is the median. i could be wrong, but i think that's right

$\text{Med}\left(\left\{131,\cdots,145\right\}\righ t)=139$
• Oct 29th 2008, 06:24 PM
euclid2
Quote:

Originally Posted by xsriel
The median of a set of consecutive odd intergers is 138. If the greatest integer in the set is 145 what is the smallest integer in the set?

I DONT KNOW :O

I agree the answer is 131.
• Oct 29th 2008, 06:27 PM
xsriel
oh...ill copy down both and ask my teacher xxD but thanks for the help
• Oct 29th 2008, 06:28 PM
xsriel
Quote:

Originally Posted by euclid2
I agree the answer is 131.

xDDDDDDDDDD
• Oct 29th 2008, 06:28 PM
Mathstud28
Quote:

Originally Posted by euclid2
I agree the answer is 131.

Forgive me...I omittied the 135 term in my calculations..sorry
• Oct 29th 2008, 06:31 PM
Soroban
Hello, xsriel!

Quote:

The median of a set of consecutive odd integers is 138.
If the greatest integer in the set is 145 what is the smallest integer in the set?

You can baby-talk your way through this one . . .

We have consecutive odd integers, like: . $\hdots\;129, 131, 135, 137, 139, 141, 143, 145, 147\; \hdots$

If 138 is the median, it is in the "middle" of the set of integers
. . (with an equal number of integers on both sides).

. . $\begin{array}{cccccccccccc}\hdots & 129 & 131 &133 & 135 & 137 & 139 & 141 & 143 & 145 & 147 & \hdots \end{array}$
. - - . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $\uparrow$
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $138$

Since the largest number is 145, the sequence looks like this:

. . $\begin{array}{cccccccccccc}131 & 133 & 135 & 137 & 139 & 141 & 143 & 145 \end{array}$
. - . - . . . . . . . . . . $\uparrow$

Therefore, the smallest integer is 131.