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Number theory Difficulty 4.5 AIME Prove it United States

Problem:
Prove that 19931993+19941994+19951995+199619961993^{1993} + 1994^{1994} + 1995^{1995} + 1996^{1996} is divisible by 1010.

Solution

Solution:
Since 52=255^{2} = 25 ends in 55 again, and 62=366^{2} = 36 ends in 66 again, no matter to what power we raise 55 or 66, the resulting numbers will end in 55 or 66, respectively. Thus, 199519951995^{1995} ends in 55 and 199619961996^{1996} ends in 66.

Further, 41=44^{1} = 4, 42=164^{2} = 16, 43=644^{3} = 64, 44=2564^{4} = 256, etc., i.e., an odd power of 44 ends in 44, and an even power of 44 ends in 66 (why?). Hence, 199419941994^{1994} ends in 66.

So, the last digit of 19941994+19951995+199619961994^{1994} + 1995^{1995} + 1996^{1996} is the same as the last digit of 6+5+6=176 + 5 + 6 = 17, i.e., it ends in 77.

It remains to show that 199319931993^{1993} ends in 33 (so that 3+7=103 + 7 = 10).

Indeed, 31=33^{1} = 3, 32=93^{2} = 9, 33=273^{3} = 27, 34=813^{4} = 81, 35=2433^{5} = 243, and the pattern will be 3,9,7,1,3,9,7,1,3, 9, 7, 1, 3, 9, 7, 1, \ldots, etc. So we need to figure out into which of these slots the 19931993rd power of 33 will fall. Equivalently, we need to find the remainder of 19931993 when divided by 44 (the length of the pattern above is 44). Now, 1993=4498+11993 = 4 \cdot 498 + 1: 319933^{1993} will complete 498498 cycles of the pattern, and will end in 33.

This shows that 199319931993^{1993} ends in 33. Therefore, the last digit of the total sum is the last digit of 3+6+5+6=203 + 6 + 5 + 6 = 20, 00, which makes the sum divisible by 1010.

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