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Weekly donation split among a changing crowd

Question

Each week you hand out the same total amount, shared equally among whoever asks. Had 55 fewer people asked next week, each would get $2 more than this week's amount. In fact 44 more people asked next week, and each got $1 less than this week. How much did each person get this week?

Short answer

$6. With total aa and nn people, an−5=an+2\tfrac{a}{n-5}=\tfrac an+2 gives 5a=2n(n−5)5a=2n(n-5) and an+4=an−1\tfrac a{n+4}=\tfrac an-1 gives 4a=n(n+4)4a=n(n+4). Solving, n=20n=20 and a=120a=120, so this week each got 120/20=6120/20=6 (check: 120/15=8120/15=8, 120/24=5120/24=5).

Adapted from QuantQuestions.io; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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