The Architecture of an Arithmetic Progression
Welcome, future engineer. Today, we are not just solving a problem; we are peeling back the layers of an Arithmetic Progression (AP) to see the elegant machinery underneath.
When you look at a problem involving Tr and ∑Tr, do not see a wall of text. See the DNA of the sequence. Every AP is governed by two fundamental constants: the first term a and the common difference d.
If you know these two, you know everything about the sequence. Our mission is to hunt them down.
Phase 1
Decoding the DNA
We are given Tm=251 and T25=201. Immediately, we translate these into the language of algebra.
The general term is Tn=a+(n−1)d. Thus, for the 25th term, we have the equation:
This is our anchor. Now, consider the summation condition: 20∑r=125Tr=13.
The sum of the first n terms is given by Sn=2n[2a+(n−1)d]. For n=25, this becomes:
Phase 2
The Elegant Substitution
Here is where the magic happens. Many students would blindly expand 2a+24d. But look closer; we have 2a+24d, and we know that a+24d=201.
Let us rewrite the sum expression:
Substituting our known value, we get S25=225[a+201]. Now, applying the condition 20S25=13:
250a+12.5=13⇒250a=0.5⇒a=5001
With a in our pocket, finding d is trivial. Plugging a back into a+24d=201, we find d=5001. We have successfully decoded the DNA of this sequence.
Phase 3
The Hunt for m
Now that we have a and d, finding m is just a matter of walking the path. We know Tm=251.
Expanding this:
5001+m−1=251⇒500m=251
Solving this gives us m=20. We are halfway to victory.
Phase 4
The Final Summation
We are asked to find 5m∑r=m2mTr. With m=20, this becomes 100∑r=2040Tr.
Instead of calculating each term, we use the property that the sum of an AP is the number of terms multiplied by the average of the first and last terms. The number of terms from r=20 to r=40 is 40−20+1=21.
Using our values T20=50020 and T40=50040, the sum is:
Finally, multiplying by 100:
And there it is. 126. The beauty of this problem is not in the arithmetic, but in the structure. By identifying the parameters early and using the symmetry of the sum formula, we turned a complex-looking expression into a simple, elegant result.