Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /24 of 241

, 2026

Algebra Difficulty 1.1 Junior Find the answer Canada

In the diagram, the number line between 00 and 66 is divided into 1212 equal parts. The numbers MM and NN are marked on the line.

The value of NMN-M is

Pick one

Solution

Since the number line between 00 and 66 is divided into 1212 equal pieces, then each piece has
length 612=0.5\dfrac{6}{12}=0.5.

The location of MM is 22 such pieces right of 00, and so the value of MM is 2×0.5=1.02\times0.5=1.0.

The location of NN is 33 such pieces left of 66, and so the value of NN is 6(3×0.5)=4.56-(3\times0.5)=4.5.

The value of NM=4.51.0=3.5N-M=4.5-1.0=3.5.

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.