Maths Olympiad Prep

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Combinatorics Difficulty 6.1 National Olympiad Prove it Baltic Way

Problem:

Using each of the eight digits 1,3,4,5,6,7,81, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 99 exactly once, a three-digit number AA, two two-digit numbers BB and CC, B<CB < C, and a one-digit number DD are formed. The numbers are such that A+D=B+C=143A + D = B + C = 143. In how many ways can this be done?

Solution

Solution:

From A=143DA = 143 - D and 1D91 \leq D \leq 9, it follows that 134A142134 \leq A \leq 142. The hundreds digit of AA is therefore 11, and the tens digit is either 33 or 44. If the tens digit of AA is 44, then the sum of the units digits of AA and DD must be 33, which is impossible, as the digits 00 and 22 are not among the eight digits given. Hence the first two digits of AA are uniquely determined as 11 and 33. The sum of the units digits of AA and DD must be 1313. This can be achieved in six different ways as 13=4+9=5+8=6+7=7+6=8+5=9+413 = 4 + 9 = 5 + 8 = 6 + 7 = 7 + 6 = 8 + 5 = 9 + 4.

The sum of the units digits of BB and CC must again be 1313, and as B+C=143B + C = 143, this must also be true for the tens digits. For each choice of the numbers AA and DD, the remaining four digits form two pairs, both with the sum 1313. The units digits of BB and CC may then be chosen in four ways. The tens digits are then uniquely determined by the remaining pair and the relation B<CB < C. The total number of possibilities is therefore 64=246 \cdot 4 = 24.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.