# Finding Integers With Certain Properties.

How many positive integers between 100 and 999 inclusive

e) are divisible by 3 or 4?

For this problem, I understand that one has to employ the inclusion-exclusion principle.

Those integers divisible by 3:

Smallest: 102

Largest: 999

Set containing those divisible by 3: $\{102,...,999\}$ Factoring out a three from each element, and then taking the cardinality of that new set: $|\{34,35,36,37...,330,331,332,333\}| = 300$

Those integers divisible by 4:

Smallest: 100

Largest: 996

Set containing those divisible by 4: $\{100,...,996\}$ Factoring out a four from each elements, and then taking the cardinality of that new set: $|\{25,26,27,...,247,248,249\}|=225$

By simply adding numerical results will give a solution that over-counts. So, I need to subtract the number of integers divisible by both 3 and 4. Evidently, this is done by actually finding the number integers divisible by 12. Why is this so? Why isn't it that I find the smallest integer divisible by 3 and 4, and then find the largest integer divisible by 3 and 4?

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Why isn't it that I find the smallest integer divisible by 3 and 4, and then find the largest integer divisible by 3 and 4? Cause this way you would count twice the integers that are divisible by three and four! Is that clear? – Albanian_EAGLE Apr 18 '13 at 15:03
The integers divisible by $12$ are actually the integers divisible by both $3$ and $4$. This is the case because $3$ and $4$ are relatively prime. – Sam Apr 18 '13 at 15:04

It should be clear that if an integer is divisible by $12$, then it is divisible by $3$ and $4$. Suppose an integer $n$ is divisible by $3$ and $4$, so that $$3k=n=4m$$ for some integers $k,m$. Then $4m$ is divisible by $3,$ so since $3$ is prime, then $4$ is divisible by $3$ or $m$ is divisible by $3$. The former is false, so $m=3j$ for some integer $j$, whence $$n=4m=12j,$$ so $n$ is divisible by $12$.

Thus, the integers divisible by $3$ and $4$ are precisely those divisible by $12$.

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Number $N_n$ of positive integers divisible by $n$ in $[100,900]$ is $\lfloor\frac{999}n\rfloor-\lfloor\frac{100-1}n\rfloor$

So, $N_3=\lfloor\frac{999}3\rfloor-\lfloor\frac{100-1}3\rfloor=333-33=300$

Alternatively, numbers divisible by $3$ forms an Arithmetic Series with common difference $3$

If there are $r$ numbers starting and ending with $102,999$ respectively, $999=102+(r-1)3\implies r-1=\frac{999-102}3=99$

As you have pointed there is overlapping as we have twice counted the numbers which are divisible by both $3$ and $4$

Find $N_4,N_{12}$ to be $225,75$

So, the number of positive integers divisible by $3$ or $4$ is

the number of numbers divisible by $3$ +the number of numbers divisible by $4$ -the number of numbers divisible by $3$ and $4$

$=N_3+N_4-N_{12}$ as lcm$(3,4)=12$

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