Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around determining the last two digits of the sum of the factorials of the first 100 positive integers. Participants explore various methods to calculate this sum, analyze patterns, and address discrepancies in their findings.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Mathematical reasoning
- Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- One participant suggests that from 1! to 4!, the units digits can be added directly, while from 5! onward, the units digit is 0, leading to a sum of 13 for the last two digits.
- Another participant presents a calculation of the sum of factorials up to 9! and claims that the last two digits of the sum up to 100! are also 13, but later clarifies that 10! contributes 00 to the last two digits.
- A participant lists the factorials from 1! to 10! and analyzes which contribute to the last digit and the tens digit, concluding that the last digit is 3 and proposes that the tens digit is 1.
- Some participants express confusion about the patterns in the sums and suggest recalculating the last two digits of the factorials from 1 to 10 to clarify the situation.
- One participant admits to making a mistake in their calculations and revises their answer to 71 for the last two digits of the sum.
- Another participant notes that the later terms in the factorial sum contribute zeros, which do not affect the last digits of the sum.
- Several posts include off-topic comments and questions unrelated to the factorial sum, such as inquiries about the number of digits in the sum or other mathematical problems.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants do not reach a consensus on the last two digits of the sum of factorials, with some asserting it is 13, while others propose different results, such as 71. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the correct last two digits.
Contextual Notes
Participants' calculations depend on their interpretations of the contributions of various factorials, and there are unresolved discrepancies in their methods and results.