Maths Olympiad Prep

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Algebra Difficulty 6.8 National olympiad Prove it Estonia

The teacher writes the digits 2021202220212022 in a row on a blackboard. Juku must write each arithmetic operator (+,,,:)(+, -, \cdot, :) exactly once somewhere between these digits in such a way that the result is a correct mathematical expression with a real value, and find this value.

a. Can Juku obtain the number 00 as the value of the expression?

b. If the teacher allowed Juku to use parentheses, could Juku obtain expressions with larger values than it would be possible without parentheses?

c. Prove that there exists a positive integer less than 10001000 that cannot be obtained (without using parentheses) as the value of the expression.

Solution

Answer: (a) Yes; (b) Yes.

a. One possibility is 2+02120:22=02 + 0 \cdot 2120 : 2 - 2 = 0.

b. If the teacher allowed using parentheses, Juku could write the expression (20+2):12022(2 - 0 + 2) : 1 \cdot 2022 whose value is 80888088. We show that it is impossible to achieve so big value without using parentheses. For that, we show that the value of multiplication must be less than 50005000. Note that placing four operators between eight digits leaves there exactly three pairs of digits lying next to each other without an operator between them. Thus if both factors are numerals then the larger factor contains at most 44 digits and if the larger factor contains 33 digits then the smaller factor contains at most 22 digits. As 22 is the largest digit in use, the product cannot exceed 222222222 \cdot 2 in the first case and 22222222 \cdot 22 in the second case. Both bounds are less than 50005000. If the first factor is the ratio and the second is a numeral then the value cannot be larger, because the ratio cannot be larger than the dividend. Analogously, we see that an addend that does not involve multiplication can contain at most 44 digits and must be less than 30003000, because division or subtraction inside the addend cannot increase it. Consequently, the value of any expression that can be written without parentheses is less than 80008000. Thus Juku can obtain larger values when parentheses are allowed.

c. Placing operators between digits can be done in 76547 \cdot 6 \cdot 5 \cdot 4 ways in total. The number of different values Juku can obtain cannot exceed this number. As 7654=840<10007 \cdot 6 \cdot 5 \cdot 4 = 840 < 1000, there exists a positive integer less than 10001000 that cannot be obtained.

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