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 135

DEPARTMENTS.

SOLUTIONS OF PROBLEMS.

ALGEBRA.

316. Proposed by B. F. FINKEL, Ph. D.

Provethat > (-1)n- nCr=

n + 2++...+ n
where
r=1 2l
C n(-1)..... (n-r+) Dickson's CollegeAlgebra, ex. 13, p. 92.

Solution by G. B. M. ZERR, A. M., Ph. D., Philadelphia, Pa.

The first member of the equation should be Y(- 1)r 1-nCr instead of
r=n 1
> ( 1)nW nCr.
r=1 ln

rn (l 1 n(n- )+n(n-1) (n-2)_

r=1 r 2.2! 3.3! toers

(n+l)n+ (n +l) (n-1) to n+1 terms.

(ni+l) -
2.2! 3.3!

n + n(n- T1) -to n +l terms - 1 -1[- (1 -1)

..S-n+1 - S=l- 2!
n+l] n
3! +1n+ n 1

S1,1, S2-S1,= or S,=1+1,

S3-S2 =- or S3 1+2+

Sn-Sn-1=l/n or Sn=l+ +A+ +... +1/n.

(Vol. VII, No. 4, of the MONTHLY, page 105, line 8, gives Sn+?-Sn-=
1 by substituting -1 for x.)
Also solved by S. Lefsehetz.

317. Proposed by FRANCIS RUST, Allegheny, Pa.

Once, in classic days, Silenus lay asleep; a goat skin filled with wine near him. Di-
onysius passing by, profited, by siezing the skin, and drinking for two-thirds (i) of that
time in which Silenus alone could have emptied said skin. At this point Silenus awoke,
and seeing what was happening, snatched away the precious skin, and finished it.
136

Now, had both started together, and drank simultaneously, they would have con-
sumed the wine skin in two hours less time. And, in this case, Dionysius' share would
have been one-half as much as Silenus did secure, by waking and snatching the skin.
In what time would either one of them alone finish the goat-skin?

Solution by PROFESSOR F. L. GRIFFIN, Ph. D., Williams College.

Let x-fractional part which S drank, and y =number of hours S re-

quires for entire skin. Then Jy==time D was drinking, and xy=time- S was
drinking; y (2 +x) time they used consecutively. Also, since
3 (1-2 )=part D drinks per hour, or 3(1-x) +2-part both drink per hour,

the time required when drinking simultaneously= 23

Hence, (A) y(2+x)

3 2+5_3
~ 5-3x'
Again, the part D would get when they drink simultaneously
= (5 2 5-3x ; hence, by the problem, (B) 5-3x
3 (12)o
Equation (B) gives x =2 or 3, the latter value being impossible.
Then (A) becomes 4y ---2+jy, or y-3; and since D drinks per hour, -

his time would be 6 hours.

Also solved by V. M. Spunar, G. B. M. Zerr, and J. Scheffer.

318. Proposed by PROFESSOR R. D. CARMICHAEL, Anniston, Ala.

Sum to infinity the series n/ (4n2 -1) 2 beginning with n -1.

Solution by J. W. CLAWSON, Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pa.; HOWARD C. FEEMSTER, A. B., York Col-
lege, York, Neb.; J. EDWARD SANDERS, Weather Bureau, Chicago, Ill., and S. LEFSEHETZ, Pittaburg, Pa.
co
n=
n n= _
_r_____

n-l (4n2 - 1) 2 n=1 (2n -1)2 (2n- + _2

-n-L-t. [(l 1 1 + 1( 1 1)2

- 3 (2n-1) 2
(2n-1) I) n-- 2[l (2n+l1)p2P
Also solved by V. M. Spunar, G. B. M. Zerr, J. Scheffer, S. A. Corey, and T. J. Fitzpatrick.

GEOMETRY.

343. Proposed by 0. J. BROWN, Fairhope, Ala.

From any external point of a triangle, to draw a line so as to divide the triangle in-
to two equal parts.