Find all positive integers having an even number of digits (no leading zeroes) such that, if we insert a multiplication sign after the first digits of , the result of the multiplication is a divisor of .
Solutions — 2
Solution 1
Let be the -digit number, with . Also let and , so by hypothesis we are given for some positive integer . Multiplying with and adding , we arrive at .
For we immediately solve , with and not-null digits, to obtain .
For we have and , thus . A case-by-case discussion follows.
* . Then , so , forcing . From we get .
* . Then . We cannot have , impossible modulo 3. We cannot have , because it is too small. For , we get and (for example, for we get ). Thus we get a first infinite family of solutions.
* . Then , so , impossible.
* . Then , so , impossible.
* . Then , so , which forces , impossible modulo 3.
* . Then , so , which forces (as in the above) . This leads to , with only proviso that is an odd multiple of 3 in order to to be integer (for example, for we get , while for we get ). Thus we arrive at a second infinite family of solutions.
* and don't work, since they force , impossible modulo 2 or modulo 3.
Thus, wrapping things up, the solutions are , the isolated value , and the two infinite families described in the above.
Solution 2
With the above notations, from , we get that , so . Since , we have , so , where . It follows that , so . As and are -digit numbers, we have , so .
Moreover, from and , we get that , so . In order to improve this bounding, we'll study separately , in which case we easily find the solutions .
For , it follows that we have , which immediately drops the case . Also, for , we must have . If , then , impossible, for parity reasons. If , we get . Again, parity arguments provide , so and , so . That leaves us with .
For , we have and , so must be odd, and it cannot be 5 or divisible by 3. The only possibility remains , which works only if ; we get that , , so
For , we have and , so is odd and it is not 5, so it must be 3 (which works for all ). It follows that