MHB Find the smallest positive integer n

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To find the smallest positive integer n such that n^16 exceeds 16^18, the calculation involves comparing the two expressions. The value of 16 can be rewritten as 2^4, leading to the inequality n^16 > (2^4)^18, simplifying to n^16 > 2^72. Taking the 16th root, this results in n > 2^(72/16), which simplifies to n > 2^4. Therefore, the smallest integer n that satisfies this condition is 17. The discussion highlights different approaches to arrive at the solution, with some preferring simpler methods.
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Find the smallest positive integer $n $ for which $n^{16}$ exceeds $16^{18}$.
 
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anemone said:
Find the smallest positive integer $n $ for which $n^{16}$ exceeds $16^{18}$.
23 as below

n^16 > 16^18
or n^8 > 16^9 or 4^18
or n^4 > 4^9 or 2^18
or n^2 > 2^9 or 512
n = 22 => n^2 = 484 and n = 23 => n^2 = 529
 
Hello, anemone!

\text{Find the smallest positive integer }n
. . \text{ for which }n^{16}\text{ exceeds }16^{18}.
kaliprasad is correct.
I used a different approach.

We want: .n^{16} \;> \; 16^{18}

. . . . . . . .n^{16} \;>\; (2^4)^{18}

. . . . . . . .n^{16} \;>\;2^{72}

. . . . . . . . . n \;>\;2^{\frac{72}{16}}\;=\;2^{\frac{9}{2}}

. . . . . . . . . n \;>\; 2^{4+\frac{1}{2}} \;=\;2^4 \cdot 2^{\frac{1}{2}}

. . . . . . . . . n \;>\; 16\sqrt{2} \;=\; 22.627417

Therefore: . n \;=\;23

 
soroban said:
Hello, anemone!


kaliprasad is correct.
I used a different approach.

We want: .n^{16} \;> \; 16^{18}

. . . . . . . .n^{16} \;>\; (2^4)^{18}

. . . . . . . .n^{16} \;>\;2^{72}

. . . . . . . . . n \;>\;2^{\frac{72}{16}}\;=\;2^{\frac{9}{2}}

. . . . . . . . . n \;>\; 2^{4+\frac{1}{2}} \;=\;2^4 \cdot 2^{\frac{1}{2}}

. . . . . . . . . n \;>\; 16\sqrt{2} \;=\; 22.627417

Therefore: . n \;=\;23

above approach is more straight forward
 
Here is a little puzzle from the book 100 Geometric Games by Pierre Berloquin. The side of a small square is one meter long and the side of a larger square one and a half meters long. One vertex of the large square is at the center of the small square. The side of the large square cuts two sides of the small square into one- third parts and two-thirds parts. What is the area where the squares overlap?

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