6

My Approach: Let the number of incongruent triangles possible with the sticks of length $\{1,2,\cdots,n\}$ is $S_n $

So now number of incongruent triangles possible with the sticks of length $\{1,2,\cdots,n,n+1\}=$ Number of incongruent triangles with the sticks of length $\{1,2,\cdots,n\}+$ Number of incongruent triangles with largest side $n+1 $ $\implies S_{n+1}=S_n+$ Number of incongruent triangles with largest side $n+1 $

Now we will find the number of possible triangles with largest side $n+1$

Now the smallest side has to be greater than 1. The sum of two sides other than largest side can be minimum $n+2$ and maximum $2n-1$

\begin{array}{c|c} \text{Smallest Side length}& \text{Number of choices to choose third side}\\ \hline 2 & 1\ [\text{Only } n]\\ 3 & 2\ [\text{Only } n,n-1]\\ 4 & 3\ [\text{Only } n,n-1,n-2]\\ \vdots & \vdots \quad \quad\quad\vdots \\ \Big\lfloor\dfrac{n}{2}\Big\rfloor & \Big\lfloor\dfrac{n}{2}\Big\rfloor-1\\ \hline \text{Total} & \dfrac{\Big\lfloor\dfrac{n}{2}\Big\rfloor\bigg(\Big\lfloor\dfrac{n}{2}\Big\rfloor-1\bigg)}{2} \end{array}

Case 1 ($n=2k$): Then $\Big\lfloor\dfrac{n}{2}\Big\rfloor=k$ Then after k we can choose any two lengths from the sticks $\{k+1,k+2,\cdots,n\}$. So then number of choices when smallest side is $k+1$ is $\dfrac{k (k-1)}{2}$

Hence $S_{n+1}=S_n+\dfrac{k (k-1)}{2}+\dfrac{k (k-1)}{2}=S_n+k (k-1)= S_n+\dfrac{n (n-2)}{4}$

Case 2 ($n=2k+1$): Then $\Big\lfloor\dfrac{n}{2}\Big\rfloor=k$. Here after k we can choose any two lengths from the sticks $\{k+1,k+2,\cdots,n\}$. So now the number of choices when smallest side is $k+1$ is $\dfrac{k (k+1)}{2}$

Hence $S_{n+1}=S_n+\dfrac{k (k-1)}{2}+\dfrac{k (k+1)}{2}=S_n+k^2 = S_n+\dfrac{(n-1)^2}{4}$

Now i got these two recurrence relation but how to solve that to a general formula?

Edit: I got the rest.

We got that $$\text{Number of incongruent triangles with largest side }n+1=\begin{cases} \dfrac{n (n-2)}{4}, & \text{when }n=\text{even}\\ \dfrac{(n-1)^2}{4}, & \text{when }n=\text{odd}\end{cases}$$we can write it in this way that $$\text{Number of incongruent triangles with largest side }n+1=\bigg\lceil \dfrac{n (n-2)}{4}\bigg\rceil$$

Now, \begin{array}{ccccc} S_{n+1}& - & S_n & = & \bigg\lceil \dfrac{n (n-2)}{4}\bigg\rceil \\ S_{n} & - & S_{n-1} & = & \bigg\lceil \dfrac{(n-1)(n-3)}{4}\bigg\rceil \\ S_{n-1} & - & S_{n-2} & = & \bigg\lceil \dfrac{(n-2)(n-4)}{4}\bigg\rceil \\ \vdots & & \vdots & & \vdots\\ S_4 & - & S_3 & =& \bigg\lceil \dfrac{3 (3-2)}{4}\bigg\rceil =1\\ \hline S_{n+1}&- & S_3 & = & \sum\limits_{i=3}^n \bigg\lceil \dfrac{i (i-2)}{4}\bigg\rceil\\ S_{n+1}& & & = &\sum\limits_{i=1}^n \bigg\lceil \dfrac{i (i-2)}{4}\bigg\rceil \end{array}

  • 2
    It might be an idea to calculate a few terms of this sequence and enter it into OEIS. That often solves problems like this. – Arthur Sep 02 '20 at 05:46
  • It might also be an idea to search this website for previous occurrences of this question. I'm quite confident it has been asked and answered here before. – Gerry Myerson Sep 02 '20 at 06:42
  • Have you followed up on any of these comments, Soham? – Gerry Myerson Sep 03 '20 at 13:12
  • It's not polite to ask a question, Soham, and then ignore people who try to help you to answer it. – Gerry Myerson Sep 05 '20 at 12:19
  • How can i answer when my wifi was not working for some days...however you said that " it might also be an idea to search this website for previous occurrences of this question. I'm quite confident it has been asked and answered here before. " ---my question is if this approach is correct or not...i am not asking what is the answer of the problem – Soham Chatterjee Sep 05 '20 at 15:01
  • Sorry about your wifi problems, Soham. But have you looked for previous occurrences of this question? You might find that not only has the question been asked and answered before, but that exactly your approach has been taken, and the reception it got may tell you what you want to know. So: have you followed up on any of the comments? By the way, if you want to be sure that I see a comment intended for me, you have to include @Gerry in it. – Gerry Myerson Sep 06 '20 at 13:00
  • Sorry but i cant understand the summation part he did @Gerry – Soham Chatterjee Sep 06 '20 at 16:48
  • It's not clear to me what you are referring to, Soham. Does this have to do with the post @Vepir linked? Anyway, asking for clarification of some other solution is not the same as asking for confirmation of your approach, so it seems to me you're changing the question. So, what exactly do you want? – Gerry Myerson Sep 06 '20 at 22:17
  • I am asking is my approach is right or wrong ? If wrong then point out the mistakes...thats all – Soham Chatterjee Sep 07 '20 at 08:13
  • Again you left out the @Gerry, Soham. But you haven't answered my question as to whether you have followed up on the comments. – Gerry Myerson Sep 07 '20 at 13:05
  • Yeah i followed the comments @Gerry – Soham Chatterjee Sep 07 '20 at 17:10

0 Answers0