Let n≥102010 be an integer. Find the first digit after the decimal point of n2+n+200.
Solution
The answer is 5 for all n≥1000. If n≥200 we have n2+n+200<n2+2n+1=(n+1)2, so n<n2+n+200<n+1 and ⌊n2+n+200⌋=n. It also follows that n2+n+200 is not an integer, moreover n2+n+200 is irrational. Let k be the first digit of n2+n+200 after the decimal point, 0≤k≤9. Then n+10k<n2+n+200<n+10k+1, or
10n+k<10n2+n+200<10n+(k+1).
The inequalities are strict as n2+n+200 is irrational. Squaring and simplification gives 20nk+k2<100n+20000<20n(k+1)+(k+1)2.
The left inequality implies 20n(k−5)<20000, n(k−5)<1000. Given n≥1000, we see that k≤5. Otherwise k−5≥1 and n(k−5)≥n≥1000. The right inequality can be rewritten as 20000<20n(k−4)+(k+1)2. Hence 20000<20n(k−4)+102 because k≤9; thus 1000<n(k−4)+5. So n(k−4)>0 which implies k≥5. Now k≤5 and k≥5 lead to k=5.
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