Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /133 of 183

, 2024

Algebra Difficulty 2.4 Junior Find the answer Canada

In the subtraction of the two-digit numbers shown, the letters
PP and QQ each represent a single digit.

The value of P+QP+Q is

Pick one

Solution

We rearrange the given subtraction to create the addition
statement Q6+49=8PQ6+49=8P.

Next, we consider the units digits.

From the statement, the sum 6+96+9 has
a units digit of PP which means that
P=5P=5 (since 6+9=156+9=15). Therefore, we have Q6+49=85Q6+49=85.

Rearranging this equation, we get Q6=8549=36Q6=85-49=36, and so Q=3Q=3.

Therefore, P+Q=5+3=8P+Q=5+3=8.

(We can check that 8536=4985-36=49, as
required.)

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,444 problems in a working order, from Junior Challenge level to the IMO shortlist.

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