MHB What are the factors of -48 that result in a positive sum?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on finding factors of -48 that yield a positive sum when paired with their corresponding positive counterparts. The factors identified include -1, -2, -3, -4, and -6, each paired with 48, 24, 16, 12, and 8 respectively. The sums calculated from these pairs show that they all result in positive numbers, with the highest being 47 from -1 and 48. The conversation suggests that using a straightforward method ("plug and play") can be effective for this problem. Ultimately, the practicality of the approach is emphasized over theoretical methods.
karush
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ok I don't don't know de jure on this so ...

is it just plug and play??

find factors of -48
$-1(48)=-48$
$-2(24)=-48$
$-3(16)=-48$
$-4(12)=-48$
$-6(8)=-48$
check sums for positive number
$-1+48=47$
$-2+24=22$
$-3+16=13$
$-4+12=8$
$-6+8=2$it looks like c. 5
 

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karush said:
is it just plug and play??

Well, if just plug and play can get you there faster, why bother with theoretical method?
 
mahalo;)
 
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