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Number theory Difficulty 3.1 AMC 10/12 Prove it Canada

For a positive 3-digit integer nn, f(n)f(n) is equal to the sum of nn and the digits of nn. For example, f(351)=351+3+5+1=360f(351)=351+3+5+1=360.

Note: The decimal representation of the 3-digit number abcabc is a102+b10+ca\cdot10^2+b\cdot10+c. For example, 836=8102+310+6836=8\cdot 10^2+3\cdot 10+6.

What is the value of f(132)f(132)?
If f(n)=175f(n)=175, what is the value of nn?
If f(n)=204f(n)=204, determine all possible values
of nn.

Solution

Evaluating, we get f(132)=132+1+3+2=138f(132)=132+1+3+2=138.
Suppose that nn is equal to
the 3-digit positive integer abcabc.

Then f(n)=f(abc)=100a+10b+c+a+b+c=101a+11b+2cf(n)=f(abc)=100a+10b+c+a+b+c=101a+11b+2c.

Since f(n)=175f(n)=175, then 101a+11b+2c=175101a+11b+2c=175.

It cannot be the case that $a \geq
2,sinceifwehad, since if we had a \geq
2,then, then 101a \geq 202$
which is too large, noting that 11b+2c11b+2c is always at least 00.

Therefore, a<2a < 2 which means
that a=1a = 1.

When a=1a = 1, we get 101+11b+2c=175101+11b+2c=175 or 11b+2c=7411b+2c=74.

It cannot be the case that $b \geq
7,sinceifwehad, since if we had b \geq
7,then, then 11b \geq 77$ which
is too large, noting that 2c2c is
always at least 00.

Therefore, b<7b < 7. If b=6b=6, then 66+2c=7466+2c=74 or 2c=82c=8, and so c=4c=4.

If b5b\leq5, then 11b5511b\leq55, and so 2c7455=192c\geq74-55=19, which is not possible
since c9c\leq9.

We can confirm that f(164)=164+1+6+4=175f(164)=164+1+6+4=175, and so n=164n=164.
Suppose that nn is equal to
the 3-digit positive integer pqrpqr.

Then f(pqr)=100p+10q+r+p+q+rf(pqr)=100p+10q+r+p+q+r, and
so 101p+11q+2r=204101p+11q+2r=204.

If p3p\geq3, then 101p303101p\geq303, and so p=1p=1 or p=2p=2.

If p=1p=1, then 101+11q+2r=204101+11q+2r=204 or 11q+2r=10311q+2r=103.

Since r9r \leq 9, then 2r182r \leq 18 and so 11q10318=8511q \geq 103 - 18 = 85.

Therefore, q=8q=8 or q=9q=9.

If q=8q=8, then 88+2r=10388+2r=103 or 2r=152r=15, which is not possible since rr is an integer.

If q=9q=9, then 99+2r=10399+2r=103 or 2r=42r=4, and so r=2r=2.

In this case, n=192n=192 and we can
confirm that f(192)=192+1+9+2=204f(192)=192+1+9+2=204.

If p=2p=2, then 202+11q+2r=204202+11q+2r=204 or 11q+2r=211q+2r=2.

The only possible solution to 11q+2r=211q+2r=2 is q=0q=0 and r=1r=1.

In this case, n=201n=201 and we can
confirm that f(201)=201+2+0+1=204f(201)=201+2+0+1=204.

Therefore, if f(n)=204f(n)=204, then the
possible values of nn are 192192 and 201201.

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Source: CEMC, University of Waterloo, licensed CC-BY-NC-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.