At the beginning of 1998, the annual consumption of ice cream is in the U.S. was 12,582,000 pints and growing at a rate of 212,000,000 pints per...

The data given with regards to the population of US in 1998 written in mathematical form: 

Population: `P = 268 924 000`

Annual consumption of ice cream: `C = 12 582 000`

Rate of annual consumption of ice cream: `(dC)/dt = 212 000 000`

Rate of population growth in the US in 1998: `(dP)/dt = 1856000`

Since we are told that:

annual per capita growth = (annual consumption) / (population size)

We can use calculus, specifically the quotient rule to determine the annual per capita consumption of ice cream increasing at that time.

The formula is as follows:  

`d/dx [C/P] = [P * (dC/dt) - C * (dP/dt)] / (P^2)`

`d/dx [C/P] = [(268924000 * 212 000 000) - (12 582 000 * 1 856 000)]/ (268924000^2)`

`d/dx [C/P] = 0.788`

The annual per capita consumption of ice cream increased at that time in 1998 was 0.788