Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2023

Combinatorics Difficulty 2.5 Junior Find the answer Canada

The numbers 41, 35, 19, 9, 26, 45, 13, 28 are arranged in pairs
so that the sum of the numbers in each pair is the same. The number
paired with 13 is

Pick one

Solution

The sum of PP and QQ is equal to 5, and so PP and QQ are (in some order) either equal to 1
and 4, or they are equal to 2 and 3.

The difference between RR and SS is equal to 5, and so RR and SS must be (in some order) equal to 1 and
6.

Since RR and SS are equal to 1 and 6, then neither
PP nor QQ can be 1, which means that PP and QQ cannot be equal to 1 and 4, and so they
must be equal to 2 and 3.

The only numbers from 1 to 6 not accounted for are 4 and 5.

Since TT is greater than UU, then the number that replaces TT is 5.

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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.