Question

the sum of two positive consecutive integers is x. in terms of x, what is the value of the smaller of these two integers?​

Answer 1

In terms of x, the smaller integer is (x - 1)/2

Explanation:

Two consecutive positive integers can be written as:

n and (n + 1)

Where n is an integer and:

n > 0.

notice that the smaller of the two integers is n.

We know that the sum of these two integers is equal to x, then:

n + (n + 1) = x

we can rewrite this as:

2n + 1 = x

solving this for n (the smaller of the two integers) we get:

2n = x - 1

n = (x - 1)/2

In terms of x, the smaller integer is (x - 1)/2