PigeonholePrinciple Basic

Problem - 2795
Among nine randomly selected even numbers from $2$, $4$, $6$, $\cdots$, $28$, $30$, show that at least two of them whose sum is $34$.

Dividing these $15$ numbers into the following $8$ groups:

  • $\{2\}$
  • $\{4, 30\}$
  • $\{6, 28\}$
  • $\{8, 26\}$
  • $\{10, 24\}$
  • $\{12, 22\}$
  • $\{14, 20\}$
  • $\{16, 18\}$

Then, by the pigeonhole principle, two must be in the same group if nine numbers are chosen. The sum of these two numbers is $34$.

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